Five men face charges over alleged unlicensed contracting in Eaton Fire rebuilding efforts

Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced charges Thursday against five men accused of engaging in unlicensed contracting work in the Eaton Fire burn zone.

In a news conference, Hochman said unlicensed contractors may promise to rebuild destroyed homes faster and cheaper, but they can expose homeowners to faulty workmanship, liability for worker injuries and sometimes outright theft.

“This increases the likelihood of fraud,” Hochman said. “You’re going to give them a whole bunch of money upfront, and you may never see them again.”

The five men charged are:

• Daniel Escarzaga, 28
• Andrew Escarzaga, 27
• Edgar Geovanni Lopez Revolorio, 42 
• Melvin Hairon Mejia Ordonez, 41
• Guillermo Ramirez, 54

Revolorio was arraigned in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Wednesday. Ramirez and Ordonez were arraigned Thursday. All three pleaded not guilty.

Arraignment for Andrew and Daniel Escarzaga is set for Jan. 8.

In four separate complaints, the district attorney alleges the men were contracting without licenses during a natural disaster, a felony violation of California’s business and professions code.

Hochman said an investigation by his office found the men knew they were operating without a license but held out their services to fire victims anyway.

Rebuilding is just getting underway for many families. Most have yet to break ground, but a small group of homeowners already have rebuilt structures lost during the fire.

L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, who represents Altadena, said at the news conference that homeowners should turn to vetted lists of licensed contractors as they map out their plans.

“Hiring unlicensed contractors often ends up costing more in the long run,” she said.