OLYMPIA – The Department of Labor & Industries is warning homeowners in Washington to beware of an unregistered contractor who’s accused of using legitimate contractors’ credentials to scam customers.
Antonio “Tony” Gonzalez, 39, has been cited for 10 infractions alleging he used other contractors’ registration numbers to get construction jobs that he never finished and, in many cases, didn’t even start.
Eleven customers have reported losing tens of thousands of dollars in deposits to Gonzalez, according to L&I construction compliance inspectors.
The victims range from the Tri-Cities region and Yakima to Seattle, Everett, and Olympia. Gonzalez’s last known addresses are in Wapato and Union Gap.
L&I has cited Gonzalez for a total of 30 civil infractions from last July through January — 13 for performing or offering to perform construction while unregistered,10 for falsely using another contractor’s registration, and seven for plumbing and electrical-related violations. The infractions carry fines totaling more than $110,000.
Many victims have filed reports with their local police. The Yakima County Prosecutor’s office is considering whether to file criminal charges in its jurisdiction.
Nearly all the victims whose cases L&I investigated found Gonzalez through Craigslist, the classified ad website. In most cases, he gave…
