Las Vegas woman out over $8K after scam by unlicensed contractor

Barbara Ojito hired someone she knows to help her complete repairs at her Las Vegas home

Located near Stewart Avenue and Lamb Boulevard, Ojito said she needed repairs on her roof and a deck built in her backyard.

“I’ve known him for about 10 years since he came to do a job for me in front of my house and I gave him the job again this last time because his wife asked me,” said Ojito, 66. “I already had another person who was going to do the work for me, but since he got my permits and made the drawings of the plans, then it was better to give it to him,” she added.

Ojito said she met the man, identified as Alfred Martin Lagunas, in the church and believed he was a person she could trust.

“That money really was money that my parents, before they died, had worked very hard and they had saved it so that on the day they died, they would leave it to me and my brother for an emergency,” Ojito said in Spanish.

During a tour of her Las Vegas home, Lagunas’ unfinished work was seen. She said Lagunas and others worked on her roof and made a deck in her backyard.

“He came with his grandson and a bunch of people who didn’t know what they were doing… He owes a couple of guys money, he still owes them money; But they are afraid to speak, but I am not afraid,” she said.

She added that he once told her that one of the people he brought to work had no papers and that he knew he was not going to pay him.

“This man, even though I knew him, it was not worth it to me to have known him for almost 10 years in the church that I go to. He took it and left. He promised me that he was going to come back, which he never came back,” she said.

According to a press release from the Nevada State Contractors Board (NSCB), Ojito lost more than $8,000 due to botched and unfinished work at her home. A criminal complaint was filed against Lagunas with the Clark County District Attorney’s office.

“It is new (the deck), it looks like it has been here for 20 years, but it doesn’t look new,” she added as she showed members of the media her backyard, which has no drainage and has lights and fans that don’t work.

Ojito showed videos of when she paid for the work and mentioned that both Lagunas and another person ruined her cameras. She said they also threw everything on the ground and peed in the backyard.

“This guy made me so angry. I can’t forgive what he did, I can’t. He’s supposed to be a Christian like me, but there’s nothing Christian about this. Just because he goes to church, it does not mean that he is a Christian,” Ojito said.

As a result of the incident, the NSCB is again reminding people to avoid paying unlicensed contractors.

Randy Escamilla, spokesman for the Contractors Board in Nevada, said they receive hundreds of complaints each year regarding problems with unlicensed contractors, so it is always important to review the people who are hired.

In order to verify a contractor’s license, you can go to the Contractors Board webpage and enter the license number or name of the person, or by calling NSCB.

“He has been convicted once before for being an unlicensed contractor, he is not charged with any serious misdemeanors, and if convicted…he could face a maximum penalty of up to $10,000 in fines and up to one year in Clark County Jail,” Escamilla said of the case involving Lagunas.

NSCB advised in a press release that residents should make sure to “obtain at least three bids, check references, and make sure your contract is as detailed as possible before signing. Don’t let payments get ahead of work performed and never pay in cash.”

By using a licensed contractor, homeowners can file a complaint with the NSCB and they could have recourse of up to $40,000 if the contractor fails to correct the work.

“In our experience, unlicensed contractors often use inferior materials, perform poorly and may not have workers’ compensation insurance,” Escamilla said.

“When you are going to hire someone, make sure they have a license, don’t hire anyone off the street like I did,” Ojito warned. “Even though I knew him from years. But he left with our money…I thought I could trust him and look what happened.”