Two Downey men arrested for unlicensed contract work

Two Downey residents were caught in a sting by the Contractors State License Board last week and are facing charges of doing contract work without a license.Ricardo Antonio Aceituno, 47, and Jose Felix Hernandez, 69, allegedly responded to an ad from the CSLB's fraud unit, which posed as homeowners seeking bids on painting and concrete services. Aceituno and Hernandez, both unlicensed, allegedly bid more than $500 for a painting job. California law requires a license to complete home improvement jobs valued at $500 or more. Aceituno and Hernandez were given notices to appear at Long Beach Superior Court in October. In addition to charges of contracting without a license, Aceituno is accused of illegal advertising and Hernandez allegedly sought an excessive down payment. State law requires contractors to put their license number in all advertisements, and contractors are prohibited from accepting a down payment larger than 10 percent of the contract price or $1,000, whichever is less. The CSLB arrested 22 people in total during the sting, which took place near El Dorado Park in Long Beach.