Florida authorities on Friday charged a man with unlicensed contracting, insurance fraud and failing to obtain workers’ compensation coverage on his workers, after he solicited Tampa-area homeowners for roof replacement work.
John Sutton, doing business as Kaizen Construction Group, had salesmen go door to door in Pasco County in 2021 and 2022, instructing homeowners on what to say in filing an insurance claim, Florida’s chief financial officer said in a bulletin. Some of the homeowners agreed to sign “direct to pay” documents, essentially assigning benefits to the roofing company.
Investigators from the Department of Financial Services and the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office determined that Sutton and Kaizen Construction were unlicensed as roofers and were responsible for more than $41,000 in insurance claims. Sutton later reportedly made a statement saying that he has victimized hundreds of homeowners throughout the state, the DFS said.
Florida Department of State records show Kaizen Construction in Thonotosassa, Florida, was registered as a limited liability company with Sutton listed as manager, until it was dissolved in 2021.
If convicted of the charges, Sutton could face up to 25 years in prison. People who know of homeowners that may have been subject to the company’s solicitations are urged to call the CFO’s fraud hotline at 800-378-0445.
Topics Florida Homeowners Contractors
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