ROYAL PALM BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) — A Royal Palm Beach homeowner thought they hired a licensed contractor for a renovation in April 2024, but nearly two years later, detectives say the man behind the project was never licensed in Florida and is now facing fraud.
The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office (PBSO) said that Lawrence Hawkins presented himself as a licensed contractor and provided fake credentials to verify himself. He accepted the victim’s payment and began work that was later deemed incomplete and substandard. The homeowner discovered the deception after hiring an attorney, leading to a report filed in July 2025…