ENGLEWOOD — Charlotte County deputies arrested two people earlier this week on charges of contractor fraud and scheme to defraud customers.
The arrest report alleges that one of the accused did worker orientation with at least two local firms and then used company attire to present himself as a licensed contractor.
Sergio Frank Izzo, 38, and Kimberly Lynn Austin, 34, were both arrested by the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office on Wednesday.
Both have been charged with scheme to defraud over $50,000, while Izzo was also charged with falsely presenting as a licensed contractor during a state of emergency.
Charlotte County deputies received a complaint in February from an Englewood resident who named Izzo as a suspected scammer.
The resident said she hired Izzo a year ago for a remodeling that included electrical and plumbing work, under the impression he worked for Green Coast Contracting and Roofing.
She had already made $215,000 in payments — both via checks and cash — when she learned county code inspectors had stopped work and fined her $50,000 for remodeling without a permit.