Local contractors busted for operating without a license

      "Once again these unlicensed operators were tripped up by their own dishonesty," said Dillon. "They failed to satisfactorily complete the work for which they were paid, often leaving homes in serious and sometimes dangerous disrepair. This led their victims to contact us, and our resulting investigations confirmed that none of these rip-off artists is licensed."
      Steven Dragoumanos, 54, doing business as Space Inventors, 2794 Laurel Ave., Baldwin, was accused of taking $1,000 from an Oceanside homeowner and $6,500 from a North Woodmere homeowner, then did no work for either customer.
      Bart Bunting, 43, doing business as J & B Roofing, 2143 Pine St., Baldwin took $4,800 to put a new roof on a Baldwin home, but the new roof leaked and Bunting refused to fix it, according to Dillon. The homeowner has already paid another contractor $1,000 to fix the leak, but will also have to have the entire roof replaced, incurring even greater costs.
      William McFadden, 35, doing business as Emerald Isle Concrete, 326 Atlantic Ave., Cedarhurst, allegedly accepted $5,000 from a Merrick homeowner for driveway and sidewalk work which was done poorly and incompletely, costing the homeowner an additional $9,200 to have it fixed by another contractor.
      Frank T. Indovino, 30, doing business as Divino Masonry Tile Work, 734 Harrison St., West Hempstead, allegedly was paid $7,000 by a Farmingdale homeowner for a new front walk, porch, driveway and stoop. All of the work was done poorly, and the homeowner had to pay another contractor $1,800 to complete work on the new porch, said Dillon.
      Donald Kaefer, 33, doing business as D & J Home Improvement, 2371 Elbert Ave., Bellmore was allegedly paid $5,775 to put a new roof on a Wantagh home but left the roof only partially completed with a tarp over it during heavy rains, causing damage to ceilings, windows and carpeting that cost the homeowner $425. Once the roof was completed, it still leaked, said Dillon, causing the homeowner to pay another contractor $350 to repair it. The homeowner was awarded $362.63 in Small Claims Court, which Kaefer has not paid.
      All of the defendants are charged with Operating a Home Improvement Business Without a License, a Class A misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in prison.
      "These charged underscore how imperative it is for homeowners to check on the legitimacy of contractors before hiring them, and especially before paying them any money," said Bogsted, who urged consumers to call the Department of Consumer Affairs at (516) 571-2600 to check out any companies.