Most Wanted Unlicensed Entity Sentenced to 5 Years at Dept. of Corrections
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 15, 2021
CONTACT:
Breanna Bang, Public Information Liaison
Most Wanted Unlicensed Entity Sentenced to 5 Years at Dept. of Corrections
PHOENIX, Ariz., (October 15, 2021) - On Wed., Oct. 6, 2021, Lance Edward Wills, 45 and formerly of Higley, Arizona, was sentenced to five years in prison at the Arizona Department of Corrections by the Mohave County Superior Court. The sentence comes after Wills was found guilty of violating his probation for a prior conviction.
On January 12, 2015, the Mohave County Superior court found Wills guilty of Fraudulent Schemes and Artifices, a Class 2 Felony. The charge stemmed from a 2013 AZ ROC investigation that found in April 2012, Wills DBA NSD 1 LLC, contracted with an insurance company to perform a water remediation and remodeling project at a Dolan Springs, Arizona residence for $12,425.45.
Wills was paid $18,000 over the course of the project but never finished the job and did not deliver over $10,000 in materials.
The Mohave County Superior Court originally sentenced Wills to pay $14,265.17 in restitution to the homeowner, to pay $538 in court fines and fees, to serve 90 days in jail, 7 years of supervised probation, 200 hours of community restitution, and 100 hours of community service.
Background
Wills was previously a licensed contractor from April 2006 to June 2008, but his license was revoked in July 2008 for performing poor work and abandoning projects. In total, the Agency received eight complaints against Wills while he was licensed.
Since the license was revoked in 2008, the Agency investigated 20 unlicensed complaints against Wills. Since his first unlicensed complaint, Wills has taken Arizona home and business owners out for over $220,194, often abandoning the project after receiving a deposit.
Of the 20 unlicensed complaints investigated, the Agency submitted 15 to either the appropriate County Attorney's Office or the Arizona Attorney General's Office for prosecution. Wills pleaded guilty to charges of Contracting Without a License in 2013, 2014, and 2015. He also pled guilty to the charge of Fraudulent Schemes and Artifices, a Class 2 Felony, in March 2018.
On August 22, 2018, Wills pled guilty to two counts of Theft, a Class 3 Felony in a case stemming from four AZ ROC investigations from 2013, 2015 and 2016. The investigations revealed that Wills took a combined total of $143,788.80 from four Arizona homeowners who hired him for home remodels and repairs.
AZ ROC commonly receives complaints regarding unlicensed entities exploiting property owners ranging from poor work to complete abandonment. AZ ROC reminds property owners to ask contractors of their license status and to check the license at www.roc.az.gov or by giving the agency a call at 1-877-692-9762.
Prior related stories:
Most Wanted Unlicensed Entity Arrested by Mesa PD
AZ ROC Adds Lance Wills to Most Wanted Unlicensed Entities List (video)