Florida contractor scams several victims out of thousands for Hurricane Ian repairs, police say | FOX 51 Gainesville
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Florida contractor scams several victims out of thousands for Hurricane Ian repairs, police say

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Published  May 28, 2025 4:09pm EDT
Crime and Public Safety
FOX 35 Orlando

The Brief

    • A Florida man was recently sentenced to eight years in Florida State Prison followed by 22 years of probation in reference to multiple cases of contractor fraud related to Hurricane Ian repairs.
    • Along with the prison sentence, the man has been ordered to pay back approximately $100,000 in restitution to several different victims.
    • The man has been identified as Steven R. Parker, of Ormond Beach.

PORT ORANGE, Fla. - A Florida contractor has been sentenced after he scammed multiple victims out of thousands of dollars for Hurricane Ian repairs, the Port Orange Police Department says. 

What happened?

What we know:

Police say that following Hurricane Ian in 2023, while still under a state of emergency, Steven Parker engaged multiple residents of Port Orange in repairing damaged homes caused by the hurricane. Officials say Parker also advertised his services on popular local Facebook groups. Many of the incidents involved requiring specific licensing for plumbing, electrical or structural work, which investigators say he did not possess. 

Police say they also caught Parker using the business license of a real contractor in South Florida with the same name. 

In many of the cases, officials say Parker received funds and either did not finish the projects or did no work at all, in one case resulting in a victim losing her home within the city.

Steven R. Parker, of Ormond Beach, was sentenced to eight years in Florida State Prison followed by 22 years of probation in reference to multiple cases of contractor fraud. (Credit: Port Orange Police Department)

Investigators say the issue came to light when repairs stopped on a home Parker was working on. One of the victims of the fraud had provided a civil notice through a law firm she contacted requiring Parker to refund the remaining funds or complete the work. 

Although Parker agreed to finish the work, it was then that detectives found he did not possess the business license or specialized licensing to complete the work he was paid to do. 

A check of work orders and estimates Parker provided had the general contracting license of another on it. Officials say he also created an email address very similar to the name of the business in South Florida, again trying to make it seem that he owned the business.

What we don't know:

It is currently unclear how many victims suffered from the contracting fraud and how much money Parker stole.

Fraud contractor sentenced

What's next:

On May 27,Parker was sentenced to eight years in Florida State Prison followed by 22 years of probation in reference to multiple cases of contractor fraud.

Along with the prison sentence, Parker has been ordered to pay back approximately $100,000 in restitution to several different victims. 

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The Source: This story was written based on information shared by the Port Orange Police Department in a news release on May 28, 2025.

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