Florida man gets prison time for fake contractor claims to hurricane victims
Steven Parker, of Ormond Beach, was sentenced to eight years in Florida state prison followed by 22 years of probation for multiple cases of contractor fraud.
He is also ordered to pay back approximately $100,000 in restitution to several different victims.
Prosecutors say Parker preyed on people impacted by Hurricane Ian in 2023. The filings say that during a state of emergency, Parker solicited home repairs to multiple residents of Port Orange and advertised his services on popular local Facebook groups.
Many of the services offered requiring specific licensing for plumbing, electrical or structural work, which he did not have.
Prosecutors say Parker was also caught using the business license of an actual contractor in south Florida with the same name.
In many of the cases, Parker was paid but did not finish the projects or did no work at all. One of these cases resulted in a victim losing her home.
The issue came to light when Parker stopped working on a home, and the victim filed a civil notice to get refund or force him to complete the work. But when Parker agreed to finish, it was found out that he did not have the required licensing to do the work for which he was paid.
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