Six allegedly unlicensed contractors have been charged with illegally operating in the Palisades Fire area in the aftermath of the disaster, officials announced Thursday.
The charges stem from a probe earlier this year in which state fraud investigators reviewed online advertisements from contractors offering construction services without displaying a license number, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
Investigators made individual appointments with the contractors at a Pacific Palisades residence to bid on building an accessory dwelling unit and demolition. The builders were allegedly not licensed under their names or business names, nor did they have an application pending with the Contractors State License Board.
The defendants collectively placed bids totaling up to $1.27 million, prosecutors said.
“As residents in Pacific Palisades and Altadena rebuild from the catastrophic wildfires in January 2025, we have a message for criminal contractors: Stay out of Los Angeles County,” District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman said in a statement.
“Hiring an unlicensed contractor is never a good deal, leaving you at risk of illegal down payments, fraud, unsafe construction and an inability to sell your home down the line,” he said. “This is also an issue of labor justice, as unlicensed contracting is often accompanied by labor exploitation such as wage theft, unpaid labor and unsafe working conditions. I thank the Contractors State License Board for their partnership in holding unlicensed contractors accountable and supporting a safe and lawful wildfire recovery in Los Angeles County.”
The D.A.’s office said it filed felony charges of contracting without a license during a natural disaster against Luis Perez Silva, 45; Jecil Cruz-Herrera, 33; Luis Mateo Perez Lopez, 27; Antonio Herman Perez, 44; Santiago Ismael Mejia Urena, 44; and Raymond Joshua Castorena, 33.
It is alleged that the offenses occurred in the aftermath of the Los Angeles County wildfires, which destroyed more than 16,000 homes and structures and displaced tens of thousands of residents. It is also alleged that the defendants’ conduct was directed at, and had the likelihood to harm, victims made particularly vulnerable by the impact of the wildfires, Hochman said.
Five of the defendants face up to three years in prison and/or a fine of up to $10,000. Castorena faces up to six years in prison and/or a fine of up to $10,000 because of a prior strike offense, authorities said.
Perez Lopez, Mejia Urena and Castorena pleaded not guilty at arraignments last week. Their preliminary hearing setting is scheduled for Aug. 5 at the Airport Courthouse. The defendants remain released on their own recognizance.
Arraignment for Cruz-Herrera, Silva and Perez is set for July 8 at the courthouse.
“The Contractors State License Board remains firmly committed to its consumer protection mission,” CSLB Registrar David Fogt said. “Following a wildfire, survivors have important protections under California law when hiring a contractor, including limits on the amount they can be asked to pay up front and extended cancellation rights.”