january 27, 2016

Public aids in arrest of one of ROC’s Most Wanted Unlicensed Entities

PHOENIX – On Thurs., Jan. 21, 2016, one day after being added to Arizona Registrar of Contractors’ Most Wanted Unlicensed Entity List, the Gilbert Police Department arrested Juan Esteban Ordonez, 48 of Arizona, thanks to a member of the public recognizing his name.

On Wed., Jan. 20, 2016, the Arizona Registrar of Contractors added Ordonez to its Most Wanted Unlicensed Entity List based on a warrant for his arrest for Fraudulent Schemes and Theft, stemming from an Agency investigation.

On Thursday, a Gilbert resident called the Arizona Attorney General’s Office and the Gilbert Police Department to report Ordonez visited her home, working as an insurance adjuster, on an insurance claim. When Ordonez presented his business card, the homeowner stated she recognized the name and called authorities.

According to Sgt. Jesse Sanger, spokesperson for the Gilbert Police Department, Ordonez was apprehended on Thurs., Jan. 21, 2016 by the Gilbert PD’s Criminal Apprehension Team at his place of employment in Phoenix at approximately 4:00 p.m.

Agency records show the case began when Juan Esteban Ordonez was a qualifying party working for a licensed contractor doing business as Expert Contracting, LLC. During this time, numerous complaints were received by the Registrar regarding poor work and abandonment.

While investigating those complaints, the Agency found four instances, from June 29, 2013 to Feb. 27, 2014, where Ordonez accepted payment totaling in the amount of $18,668.40 from the homeowners and never started work at any of the residences.

As a result of investigating those complaints, the contracting license was revoked and the ROC submitted the case to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office for charging review.

The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office charged Ordonez with one count of Fraudulent Schemes and Artifices, a class 2 felony, and two counts of Theft, class 3 and 4 felonies. According to the Form IV, an arrest warrant related to the charges was issued in Nov. 2015.

Arizona Public Access Records show an Arraignment Hearing is currently set for Jan. 28, 2016.

With Ordonez’s arrest, the Arizona Registrar of Contractors’ Most Wanted unlicensed Entity List returns to 12 and can be found here.