A Boca Raton man has been arrested following a dispute over contractor payment. Palm Beach County deputies arrested 63-year-old Paulo Almeida Rocha on Thursday last week on charges of contracting without a permit and failing to return payment for work that was never started, according to Palm Beach And Broward Mugshots LLC By Hank Quimby Facebook post. Rocha was booked into the Palm Beach County Main Detention Center, with bond set at $10,000.
As per Boca Post report, investigators said a Delray Beach homeowner paid Rocha $4,300 for construction work that did not begin. The homeowner reported that Rocha failed to provide proper permits or credentials and later stopped communicating. Records show the homeowner recovered $1,500 but was unable to obtain the remaining balance.
According to the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, text messages included in the probable cause affidavit show Rocha acknowledged the work had not started. Under Florida law, failure to return payment within a specified period can support criminal charges. After the remaining balance was not repaid within 30 days, an arrest warrant was issued in December 2025…