Police: Oakland Park Couple Out 42k By Alleged Phony Contractor

OAKLAND PARK (CBS4) - A South Florida couple is recouping their losses after they say they were ripped off by a phony contractor.

Maria and Eric Marin say they hired Rene Olano in September 2010 to make repairs on their recently purchased Oakland Park home. But the Marin's say they kept making payments and he never showed up.

Olano is now behind bars, charged with grand theft and unlicensed contracting.

"We totally trusted, it was no doubt he was s thief," said Maria.

The Marin's say they had met Olano through his uncle, who was a customer at their insurance agency.

"I knew the family," Maria Marin said, "the uncle."

But after four months of no work, they decided to check with the city's building department and found out no plans where on file and permits had not been pulled.

They knew then they'd been had and Olano was nowhere to be found.

Unfortunately the Marin's case is all too familiar to economic crime investigators at the Broward Sheriff's Office.

"We've run into this before where relatives or friends of relatives have taken advantage of a victim," said Detective Daniel Belyeu.

He says, however, there are some steps homeowners can take to protect themselves, for example:

• Confirm the person's identity. Make sure there are licensed,

• Keep deposits to a minimum, ten percent is a good rule of thumb to follow.

• Write checks to a company or corporation.

• Never pay in cash.

All things the Marin's say they knew to do as business people, but they were swayed by the fact they knew the person or so they thought .

"I tell the public do not trust anybody, even they know you got to check around," said Maria.

Law enforcement officials say one of the best places check a contractors background is the internet.

They recommend the site myfloridalicense.com.