It was the latest of a string of enforcement stings run throughout California throughout the year. The office, the Contractors State License Board and Palm Springs police ran the sting to crack down on consumer fraud, according to the statement.

Contractors who perform work worth $500 or more are required by state law to be licensed by the state contractors board. The board runs stings weekly.

Authorities arrested and cited 14 Riverside County contractors and an Arizona man on suspicion of contracting without a license.

All but one of the contractors was cited for misdemeanor violations. Lopez was arrested on suspicion of a felony as a repeat offender, said district attorney’s office spokeswoman Ingrid Wyatt.

If convicted of misdemeanor contracting without a license, violators can face up to a year in county jail and a $1,000 fine. Felony convictions can yield up to three years in state prison.

Source: (Riverside, Calif.) Press-Enterprise