The Miami Herald - Builder arrested in growing scandal

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Florida Builders in the News Again

The Miami Herald – Another article from Armstrong, HomeOwners for Better Building Florida Chapter Presiden & Board Member.

Pembroke Pines man arrested in Miami-Dade building department scandal

State and county officials made the fifth arrest Thursday in a growing scandal at Miami-Dade's Building Department, in which numerous new and remodeled homes received fraudulent county approvals even though they had never been inspected… Mazzella said the scandal involves many more people and he anticipates more arrests.

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/7254804.htm

Janet Ahmad

President

HomeOwners for Better Building

San , Texas

http://www.hobb.org/

Phone: 210-402-6800

The Miami Herald

Pembroke Pines man arrested in Miami-Dade building department scandal

By JOE MOZINGO

jmozingo@...

State and county officials made the fifth arrest Thursday in a growing scandal at Miami-Dade's Building Department, in which numerous new and remodelled homes received fraudulent county approvals even though they had never been inspected.

The county Inspector General and the Miami-Dade State Attorney's office arrested Mikel Isaac, 32, of Pembroke Pines, on four separate warrants and charged him with grand theft, practicing engineering without a license, practicing architecture without a license, notary fraud and official misconduct.

Isaac was previously arrested on Aug. 26 on similar charges involving another property.

Investigators say Isaac promised homeowners he would guide them through the inspection process and get them ''certificates of completion,'' which is the county's final approval on a project.

But Inspector General Mazzella said a county employee, whose identity has not been released, was fraudulently giving the Isaac and other contractors a pass on the process. He said his agents have found at least ''150 dwellings'' that may have avoided inspections meant to protect residents from everything from electrical problems to hurricanes.

In one case that led to Thursday's arrest, Noe Toussaint, a resident of Northeast Miami-Dade paid Isaac $2,364 last year to legalize additions to his home that were built previously without a permit.

Even though there were no inspections, Isaac presented Toussaint with a Certificate of Completion, investigators say. The Inspector General found ``exposed joists, improper electric and an exposed unfinished roof, covered by a tarp.''

Mazzella said the scandal involves many more people and he anticipates more arrests.