A Florida man has been arrested for contractor fraud in Calcasieu Parish.
Deputies say that on March 30 Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office detectives received a complaint from a homeowner that a contractor was refusing to refund him for repairs not completed on his home damaged by Hurricanes Laura and Delta.
The victim told deputies he hired 33-year-old Brahim B. El Hannaoui of Panama City, Florida to begin work on his home in December 2020.
Deputies learned that the victim paid Hannaoui, of Good Vibes Construction LLC, over $7,000 to make repairs and another $9,000 to begin an addition at the home.
Days after the repairs began, the homeowner told deputies that the workers quit, stating they were allegedly not being paid by Hannaoui.
The victim also allegedly advised that no materials had been purchased for the addition and that construction had not started.
When he requested his money back due to the work not being able to be completed in the agreed time frame, Hannaoui allegedly refused to repay the $9,000 for the addition nor did he complete the repairs at the victim’s home.
Further investigation also revealed Hannaoui was allegedly not licensed in the state of Louisiana.
On April 6 detectives issued a warrant for Hannaoui’s arrest.
On June 25 he was arrested in Georgia and extradited back to Louisiana on July 20.
Hannaoui was booked into the Calcasieu Correctional Center and charged with residential contractor fraud; and failure to possess a residential contractor’s license.
He was released later that day on a $17,500 bond.
Deputies say that anyone who believes they are a victim of contractor fraud or are unsure whether an actual crime has been committed should call the Contractor Fraud Response Team at 337-437-3405.
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