Who:
Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office
Patrol Operations Bureau
- Construction License Investigation Unit
- Community Policing Unit

Florida Department of Financial Services

Pinellas County Construction Licensing Board

Pinellas County Consumer Protection

State Attorney Sixth Judicial Court

What:
Deputies assigned to the Construction License Investigation Unit, along with various other Sheriff’s Office components, and other state and county agencies worked collaboratively to charge and arrest unlicensed contractors working in Pinellas County during “Operation Nailed”.

When:
The operation began on August 7, 2017.

Where:
The operation was conducted in Pinellas County.

Why/How:
Deputies assigned to the Construction License Investigation Unit along with the Florida Department of Financial Services, Pinellas County Construction Licensing Board, Pinellas County Consumer Protection and the State Attorney Sixth Judicial Court worked collaboratively to charge and arrest unlicensed contractors working in Pinellas County during an operation coined “Operation Nailed”.

The operation that began on August 7, 2017, identified 20 suspects with a total of 58 criminal charges. These charges include unlicensed specialty contracting, workers compensation fraud, knowingly allowing unlicensed person to use license number, and grand theft among other charges.

As of 9 a.m. on Tuesday, October 17, 2017, deputies located and arrested 11 of the 20 suspects. The search for the remaining nine suspects continues.

Sheriff Bob Gualtieri held a press conference at the Sheriff’s Administration Building to discuss the purpose of “Operation Nailed”. Sheriff Gualtieri said “we hope to convey that it’s a new day, a new era, and we have started and will continue to enforce the laws of this state to prevent these predator practices by unlicensed contractors in Pinellas County.”

Sheriff Gualtieri established the Construction License Investigation Unit on August 7, 2017. Since then, the Sheriff’s Office has conducted 220 unlicensed contracting investigations.  

Video of the Sheriff’s press conference can be viewed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BC80K9hiBqQ