AZ ROC’s Most Wanted Unlicensed Entities and Unlicensed Violations

AZ ROC investigated 36 cases against Servellon since 2006 and, in 2015 alone, the Registrar investigated nine cases and submitted eight of them to the Arizona Attorney General’s Office for prosecution. In those eight cases submitted for prosecution, AZ ROC Investigators found Servellon illegally contracted with homeowners for bathroom and kitchen countertop remodeling projects totaling $28,975. In total, homeowners – from Chandler, Gilbert, Pinetop-Lakeside, Mesa, Phoenix, Queen Creek and Tempe - paid $23,810 on the contracted-for price and Servellon, in exchange, performed little to no work.

Joseph Wharton II has outstanding warrants in several Arizona counties. He has been known to target the elderly and solicits contracting jobs by knocking on doors and giving a false name. He will perform unnecessary work such as applying a roof sealant. He will continue to increase the agreed upon price of work as long as he can obtain additional money from his victims.

Robert Green is well known to the ROC. From 2014 to 2016, the Agency received and investigated six complaints against Green. According to the complaints, homeowners assumed he was licensed based on his professional-looking website and gave him a combined $87,230. In each of the complaints, he collected money and performed little to no work before disappearing.

Mr. La Chance will be booked into the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office Fourth Avenue jail, on not only the felony warrant originating from the Paradise Valley case, but also two misdemeanor warrants for contracting without a license, and failure to pay on a contracting violation which originated from AZ ROC’s investigations into unrelated criminal cases, the police said.

In August of 2015, the Paradise Valley Police Department began investigating a complaint in which a resident reported that she had entered into an agreement with Paul La Chance dba Murray and Sons Construction to have nearly $60,000 worth of landscaping work done at her residence. To begin work, the resident presented a check for $15,000 to Mr. La Chance which was subsequently cashed. A short time later, but before the work project began, the resident and Mr. La Chance agreed to cancel the contract and return the $15,000 deposit. The complaint was received because no work was performed and the deposit money was never returned.

The Paradise Valley Criminal Investigations Unit (CIU) began working hand in hand with the Arizona Registrar of Contractors (AZ ROC) and learned that Mr. La Chance had a long history of complaints with AZ ROC for unlicensed activity, poor workmanship, and failure to make repairs. We also learned that the contracting license for Murry and Sons Construction was suspended at the time this contract was entered into. The joint investigation between CIU and AZ ROC resulted in a felony theft warrant being issued for the arrest of Mr. La Chance.

Bo Craciunescu is an unlicensed entity and has victimized people in Maricopa County by taking large amounts of money up front for contracting jobs and then failing to produce material he says he purchased and abandoning jobs. This has resulted in a felony warrant for fraudulent schemes.

Keith Benevento has contracted without a license. He has been known to take large sums of money from the elderly without producing any work.

Filiberto Ramos operates statewide in Arizona. He has stolen large amounts of cash from victims by means of contracting scams.