Contractors charged in workers' comp fraud

SARASOTA — A three-day undercover operation in Sarasota County led to 16 arrests for workers' compensation fraud and unlicensed contracting.

The Florida Department of Financial Services' Division of Insurance Fraud and Bureau of Compliance led the operation, according to a release. Agencies that assisted the investigation include the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Venice Police Department and City Building and Code Enforcement and the Sarasota State Attorney's Office.

“These illegitimate contractors are a danger to their employees who are working without the protection of workers' compensation as well as a danger to homeowners who are often left with unfinished jobs, faulty construction, unpermitted projects and no recourse but to pay more to hire a legitimate contractor to fix their home properly,” Florida CFO Jeff Atwater says in the release. “I am proud of our partners for helping put a stop to this illegal, costly and dangerous practice.”

The arrested individuals, if convicted, face up to five years in prison for each workers' compensation charge, the release states. There's also an additional one year for a first time unlicensed contractor charge; five years if a repeat offender. Venice Code Enforcement also cited and fined each arrestee for unlicensed contracting, states Atwater's office.

The arrested individuals include:
• Michael Lynn Burkett, Jr.
• Casey Thomas Morris
• Charles Henry Duff
• Daniel Thomas Richards
• Richard Marziano
• Brian Francis Marlow
• Robert Bruce Dimenna
• Jefferey Way Freed
• Henry Willmore Delos Santos
• Efrain Garcia
• Danny Wayne Huddleston
• Robert Franklin Vaughn
• Ken Eugene Cromer
• Jeffrey George Caridi
• Damon Patrick Ginter
• Michael J. Connor