California Construction News staff writer
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office has charged six unlicensed contractors accused of illegally soliciting construction work in the Pacific Palisades wildfire disaster zone, continuing a broader enforcement effort aimed at protecting homeowners rebuilding after the devastating January 2025 wildfires.
Felony charges stem from a joint investigation conducted by the District Attorney’s Bureau of Investigation and the California Contractors State License Board (CSLB). The operation follows a similar enforcement action announced in December 2025, when five unlicensed contractors were charged with illegally operating in the Eaton Fire recovery area in Altadena.
District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman said the county is sending a clear message to contractors attempting to capitalize on disaster recovery efforts.
“As residents in Pacific Palisades and Altadena rebuild from the catastrophic wildfires in January 2025, we have a message for criminal contractors: Stay out of Los Angeles County,” Hochman said. “Hiring an unlicensed contractor is never a good deal, leaving you at risk of illegal down payments, fraud, unsafe construction and an inability to sell your home down the line.”
Hochman also said unlicensed contracting often involves labor violations, including wage theft, unpaid labor and unsafe working conditions.
According to prosecutors, investigators with CSLB’s Statewide Investigative Fraud Team reviewed online advertisements from contractors offering construction services without displaying a valid contractor license number. During an undercover operation conducted April 15-16, 2026, investigators arranged appointments at a residence in Pacific Palisades where contractors were asked to submit bids for constructing an accessory dwelling unit and performing demolition work.
“Protecting wildfire survivors from unlicensed contractors as they rebuild is our priority,” Fogt said. “We are grateful to our partners at the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office who share in the mission to combat unlicensed contracting activity,” CSLB Registrar David Fogt said in a statement.
Authorities allege the six defendants were not licensed under their names or business names and had no pending license applications with CSLB. Collectively, the contractors allegedly submitted bids totaling as much as $1.27 million.
Those charged with one felony count each of contracting without a license during a natural disaster are Luis Perez Silva, Jecil Cruz-Herrera, Luis Mateo Perez Lopez, Antonio Herman Perez, Santiago Ismael Mejia Urena and Raymond Joshua Castorena.
Five defendants face up to three years in state prison and fines of up to $10,000 if convicted. Castorena faces up to six years in prison because prosecutors allege he has a prior strike conviction.
Perez Lopez, Mejia Urena and Castorena pleaded not guilty during their June 26 arraignment. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Aug. 5 at the Airport Courthouse. Cruz-Herrera, Silva and Perez are scheduled to be arraigned July 8.
Charges arise from recovery efforts following the January 2025 wildfires, which destroyed more than 16,000 homes and other structures across Los Angeles County and displaced tens of thousands of residents. Prosecutors allege the defendants targeted homeowners made particularly vulnerable by the disaster.
Cases are being prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Eva Jabber Stodel of the Consumer Protection Division and remain under investigation by CSLB and the District Attorney’s Bureau of Investigation.
As rebuilding continues across Pacific Palisades and Altadena, county officials are also expanding a public awareness campaign warning residents about unlicensed contractors. In partnership with the Los Angeles County Department of Consumer and Business Affairs, multilingual signs have been distributed throughout affected neighborhoods with information on how homeowners can identify licensed contractors and report suspected unlicensed activity.
All defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
