(AP Photo/Jay Reeves)
Workers talk atop a building that was heavily damaged by Hurricane Ian at Fort Myers Beach, Fla., on Sunday, Oct. 9, 2022.
The owner of a Houston-area roofing company is facing criminal charges in Florida for allegedly doing unlicensed business there in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian.
Terence Duque, 48, the owner of Rosenberg-based Duque Roofing, was arrested Oct. 7 and charged with engaging in contracting business without certification during a state of emergency, a felony, according to online court records in Charlotte County in southwestern Florida. Duque bonded out of jail that same day and is scheduled to appear before a Florida judge on Nov. 7, court records show.
The announcement of Duque’s arrest by local authorities in Florida, which suggested his company was attempting to victimize people who had been impacted by the recent storm, prompted backlash from social media users who said Duque Roofing instead appeared to be helping to fulfill a need for repairs and construction work in the wake of the natural disaster. The company operates in Texas and Louisiana and has been accredited by the Better Business Bureau since 2010, the year after it formed, according to its online profile with the bureau.
An Oct. 9 Twitter post by the Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulation, which showed Duque being handcuffed by a Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office deputy, prompted a Twitter user to reply, “Are you aware that you’re the bad guys?”
A media relations representative for the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office did not respond Thursday to a request for comment and additional information.
Beth Pannell, a spokesperson for the Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulation (DBPR), wrote in an email that qualified contractors wishing to do business in the state can apply for licenses with the department, which is expediting the review of applicants “so they can get to work on recovery efforts.”
“Unlicensed activity poses significant risks to residents who have suffered severe catastrophic storm damage,” she wrote. “The Department of Business and Professional Regulation works to mitigate these risks to homeowners and businesses through proactive enforcement efforts, outreach and education in the community.”
Duque did not respond to an interview request made Thursday through his company. A woman who answered the phone at Duque Roofing, speaking about the support it has received on social media, said, “We appreciate all of it.”
During a State of Emergency, working without proper licensure is a felony. Thanks to #DBPR’s Division of Regulation’s hard work in impacted areas, @CCSOFLSheriff arrested an unlicensed roofing worker putting Floridians at risk. Read more at https://t.co/7nKipJ4l7M. pic.twitter.com/HAHSKwiZZx
— Florida DBPR (@FloridaDBPR) October 9, 2022
A probable cause affidavit filed in court shows that an investigator with DBPR contacted the economic crimes unit of the Charlotte County …….