April Brown Investigations

14 min read
·
Dec 4, 2019

Contractor Cockroaches — How to Stop a Fraudulent Contractor

In December, I interviewed an employee at Washington State Labor and Industries again. She has been
forthright and informative during the past several months of my attempt to bring Manny Regalado to some
kind of justice — any kind of injustice. The staffer told me that she fields up to 50 phone calls a day from
victims of home remodeling and construction fraud. Many victims are elderly, many are women, most
financially ruined by an unscrupulous contractor. Many live in unsafe and unsanitary conditions because
they don’t have the money to repair the damage caused by con men in the construction and handyman
business. She agreed that any attempt to be made whole and stop one of these creeps is near impossible
especially if that person is a professional con. The cost to the victim can be exorbitant and makes finding a
contractor willing to follow a disaster created by another as daunting. It is not surprising that often the next
contractor performs substandard work as well. All hope for restitution is crushed when victims discover
television Consumer Reporter Jesse Jones has more power than the Washington State Attorney General,
Labor and Industries, their insurer, the Consumer Protection Agency and law enforcement.

The cost to consumers in this area of fraud is un-counted but based on the stories I’ve gathered, damages
mount in the billions if not trillions of untaxed dollars lost nationwide. Worse, nearly all this fraud is
committed after a natural disaster, or to repair aging and failing structures, home redesign for accessibility
conversions and sparked ideas from home improvement shows. Homeowners are left with unfinished and
damaged homes that cannot be sold or even lived in. What is being done to help victims? In most cases,
nothing. If you become a victim the only thing you can do is expose the person who committed the fraud
and adapt to the fear and the perceived risk that comes with speaking out. The truth is nobody cares and
the few that do can not help you. Think of the magnitude of victims and financial ruin Bernie Madoff’s
ponzi scheme caused times a thousand. Maddoff’s scheme was a flea compared to the Megaloblatta
longipennis — the gargantuan cockroaches in the construction fraud business.

First, make some assumptions. Frauds are typically fraudulent in all areas of their life. Manny Regalado
buys supplies for the job and then returns the supplies without receipts to Home Depot and Dunn Lumber
to get store cards for personal use. One of his glaring attempts of committing fraud against Home Depot
was a “mistake” he accused a Home Depot Associate of making. Instead of ordering 20 floor joists more
200 were delivered. When I pointed out the mistake, Regalado’s eyes lit up and he declared, “you just
made a ton of money.” I said, “what do you mean?” He said, “they have no idea they made this mistake.” I
said, “Are you kidding me? The charge is on my credit card!” The lumber sat in front of my house for more
than a month while I worried it would be stolen or a car might hit it. The dope Regalado claims he didn’t
look at the invoice before charging my account. I imagine, this was not a mistake by Regalado but a ruse
he’s used many times to steal from stores and his victims.

My next assumption is based on the many lies he told about his personal life. He claims to have fathered
four children by three women. He claims he paid Child Support to all of the mothers of these children in
advance for the entire term of the Support Enforcement Agreement. He boasted that he advance funded all
four children’s college tuition. He claimed he has a trust fund for all four children worth millions. He also
claimed to be married to a woman by the name of Brenda who lives in Mexico. Then he admitted he is not
married to Brenda with, “I just call her my wife because it’s easier”. For months he prepared for her arrival
in Seattle as soon “as she settled her grandfather’s estate”. The story changed again too, “ she’s selling her
grandmother’s estate and lives with her grandfather”. Then he admitted he had never met Brenda and
that Brenda was a phish he met on the internet. He claimed he sent her over $80,000 via Pay Pal. He said
he hired an attorney who was getting all of his money back from Pay Pal. I told him I doubt Paypal would
refund a dime. He replied it is Pay Pal’s policy to refund money paid to Phishers. Are you laughing yet? All
this coming from a guy who claims to be independently wealthy whining women are annoyingly and
constantly fawning over him. The point of this lie was to cover that he had no money and for “technical
reasons”, an excuse he used often, could not access his overseas account holding his millions. Therefore he
needed me to pay him in advance so he could pay his house note of $3500. The truth is he rents a home for
$2600 a month and squats vs. paying his rent.

I contacted Los Angeles County Child Enforcement and asked general questions about Manny Regalado’s
child support story without revealing his name. The staffer chuckled. She said if he had paid in advance a
multi-million dollar lump sum payment, all the mothers of Regalado’s children can still request more
support at a future date. Financial support is for the children — not the mothers and he would have to
terminate his relationships with the children via adoption to avoid future alterations to child support. In
brief, it’s just not done. And considering the man has not paid any of the eleven judgements against him in
Los Angeles County, one imagines he is broke ass between con jobs.

“If your intent with revenge is to deter harm, it’s a good thing”, as written by By Melissa Hogenboom in
her article The Upsides of Revenge. Based on the character and criminal mind of Manny Regalado it is fair
to say he likely does not pay child support or pay taxes. I’m fairly confident he will not report to the IRS
money he embezzled on my credit cards or the money gleaned from store cards and the sales of the tools he
stole from my property.

“The answer is that far from an evolutionary mistake, revenge serves a very useful purpose. Michael McCullough
puts it this way: although people might say seeking revenge “is really bad for you” — that it might ruin your
relationships, for example — the fact that it exists at all is a very good thing. Its main goal is to work as deterrent,
which in turn has clear advantages for our survival.” — Melissa Hogenboom

If you’ve been conned by Manny Regalado, you can enjoy knowing that the government is pretty good at
collecting money from cons and criminals and dead-beat dads, so start reporting and sharing your story.

Child Support Enforcement does not accept complaints by phone. Evidence in print must be provided to
begin the investigation.

Make photo copies of all monies paid to Manny Regalado via checks, credit cards and cash and mail to all
of the Child Support Enforcement divisions in Los Angeles County

Van Nuys Division 7555 Van Nuys Blvd. Van Nuys, CA 91405
Commerce Division 5500 S. Eastern Ave. Commerce, CA 90040
Pomona Division 3179 Temple Ave. Pomona, CA 91768
So Los Angeles Division 8300 S. Vermont Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90044 Torrance Division 20221 S.
Hamilton Ave. Torrance, CA 90502
Antelope Valley Division 42281 10th Street West. Lancaster, CA 93534

Driver’s License Suspension, Wage Garnishment, Fines and Penalties, Denial of Passports, Dismissal From
Military Service, Jail Time, FederalPenalties

The Internal Revenue Service does not accept complaints by phone. You must provide the evidence for the
investigations.

Failure To Pay Tax Form

Print Form and include copies of all monies paid to Manny Regalado via checks, credit cards and cash and
mail to all:
Order Form by Mail

You may also send a letter to the address above instead of using Form 3949-A. Please include as much
information as possible, such as these important points:

a. Name and Address of person or business you are reporting

b. The individual’s social security number or the business’ employer identification number
c. A brief description of the alleged violation(s), including how you became aware or obtained information
about the violation(s)
d. The years involved
e. The estimated dollar amount of any unreported income
f. Your name, address and telephone number*

*Although you are not required to identify yourself, it is helpful to do so. Your identity will be kept
confidential.

The BBB is an impotent agency and does nothing to help victims report fraud. In fact, the agency will not
post a report about fraud unless the victim agrees to arbitration and settlement offers. If you report to BBB
you must pretend to want to negotiate a settlement. I spoke to representative at the BBB and he said that if
the agency receives multiple fraud complaints they may post your letter. Be aware that your complaint will
be sent to Regalado via email and he can respond. He is a con man and he has fooled dozens of people who
possess money, stature and smarts and BBB is just as susceptible to getting conned. Write your letter for
the satisfaction of standing up for yourself and practicing courage.

Nothing is more depressing than the phone call you make to L & I. I’ve called several times and each time I
find another disappointing reason to feel frustrated and blocked from successfully stopping Manny
Regalado. Like the Consumer Protection Agency and the Washington State Attorney General “protection”
and “restitution” are more notions than achievable actions. Few if any individuals ever get the help they
need to stop a fraudulent contractor. In fact if you checked with L & I today, you would be told that Manny
Regalado of A to Z Contracting is in good standing. The reason? Victims must file a lawsuit in Superior
Court for a complaint to show on his contractor’s license. Even if a complaint is filed it can take months for
a hearing to get on the Superior Court Docket. The maximum amount of damages available is a measly
$12000. Just suppose a judgement is rendered in favor of the victim. All Regalado has to do is reapply for a
license under a new name. L & I affords no protection and cons and frauds like Regalado know this. The
Herald Examiner offers some decent advice, but again L & I shows A to Z Contracting Corp is in
compliance with Guidelines even though he is committing fraud as I write.

Read Online

Manny Regalado’s current license does not allow him to do any electrical or plumbing. If he has performed
either craft, file separate complaints for each cateory of offense i.e. Electrical and Plumbing with L & I
using these forms.

Tell your story. The most satisfaction and relief I’ve felt is knowing that with a bit of research, potential
victims of Manny Regalado will find this blog and avoid becoming another victim of the fraudulent
contractor.

While conducting research for this post, I was not surprised that very very few contractors are prosecuted
for the crimes Manny Regalado committed against me and his victims in Los Angeles County. I reported
him to the Shoreline Police for theft of tools and embezzlement. I gave the detectives the receipts for the
unauthorized purchases. I supplied an eye witness who viewed the tools in the garage attached to the rental
house he lives in. Months later he has not been arrested. And if you are wondering about the damage he did
to my home, King County Police consider my complaint a civil matter. One wonders why this case is has
not been handled in the same manner as this fraudulent contractor arrested by Kirkland Police. My losses
are over $200K, the original costs paid to Manny Regalado and the costs to repair the damages minus the
minor insurance payout. Manny Regalado clearly used my credit cards for personal items, bought tools and
returned some and KEPT others. How many victims does he need to rack up before the police take action?

It’s preposterous to believe a client buys tools for contractors. The whole thing is ridiculous and reflects the
prejudice built into law enforcement. If I were a wealthy male Kirkland resident would I be treated
differently? I think so.

Be prepared for Manny Regalado’s defense. If you read through the cases involving the victims of the
Kirkland con, their story is nearly identical to mine, mine being stronger because Regalado used my credit
cards to buy tools and then kept those tools. A clear case of embezzlement. When interviewed by Detective
Laura Alsbach of King County Shoreline Police, Regalado was able to easily convince the detective that I
was his friend and that he was doing me a favor by working for me cheap — $350 a day. He claimed he did
8 jobs for me as a “freind” cheap. The logical response would be if I needed to save money, why would I
give him carte blanche on my credit cards? He said never acted as a contractor? Yet he hired
subcontractors, called himself a contractor and advertised on Next Door as a contractor.

In fact, the detective didn’t consider him a con:

a man who cheats or tricks someone by gaining their trust and persuading them to believe something
that is not true.or a fraud in legal terminology. is generally Fraudulent taking of personal property by
someone to whom it was entrusted. Most often associated with the misappropriation of
money. Embezzlement can occur regardless of whether the defendant keeps the personal property or
transfers it to a third party. “Robert Dugoni says he and his wife are among the victims. And he says the
Kirkland builder’s schemes are in the midst of unraveling. “My wife has been friends with the builder for
more than 50 years,” Dugoni said. “Their grandparents were friends. She’s known him a very long time
and because of that relationship we had a great deal of trust in him. He had gone through a difficult
period in his life. His wife was ill and so when we decided to add on to our house, I said to my wife, ‘Why
don’t we use him?’ And, she agreed.” “Nobody knows (why he did what he did),” he said. “… I can only
speak to my circumstance and I can tell you that the statements he made to me and my wife were not
true and the documents he provided to us were forged, were fraud. Those are intentional acts. But I can’t
tell you what his motivations is, why he did it, when he started, I have no idea.” in the as an intentional
misrepresentation of material existing fact made by one person to another with knowledge of its falsity
and for the purpose of inducing the other person to act, and upon which the other person relies with
resulting injury or damage.

Regalado was able to con the detective with a convincing “he said — she said” defense. Which means only
one thing, no investigation was done. The detective did not speak to one sub-contractor, or get point of sale
videos from Home Depot and Dunn Lumber as she led me to believe. She didn’t ask me to provide a
witness. Instead, Regalado showed her photos, videos and text messages proving were are friends. A
seasoned detective would ask the victim — me- to explain the photos, and explain the text messages and
verify whether the accused was telling the truth. She asked me nothing.

An experienced detective knows that every con develops relationships with their mark. He be-friended
every person he stole money from in Los Angeles. Read this account of one of Joe Bergin’s victims. Joe
Bergin is the the Kirkland contractor the FBI built a case against — after he bilked more than 50 people.
I am Manny Regalado’s first victim in Seattle. He tested the scheme he used in Los Angeles in Shoreline.
Had he heard how inept the investigators are? King County Sheriff’s Office and Shoreline Police has
empowered another criminal mind — Manny Regalado — and he can be counted on to do more harm.

Whatever you think of Yelp’s business practices, the consumer complaint website was ground zero for my
investigation of Manny Regalado. I highly recommend telling your story on Yelp. Share the emotion, the
circumstances and the losses. Leave your contact information and don’t worry about backlash or
repercussions or damage to your reputation. People respect people with the courage to tell the truth.
Manny Regalado is a coward without friends and he has left a trail of heartache everywhere he’s lived and
with every person he’s been involved with. You will find my very emotional review on Yelp

Pissed Off Consumer ranks high in the search engines. This is my review on Pissed Off Consumer Of A to Z
Contracting Corp

If you want reassurance and validation or intend to file a lawsuit or tell your story, contact the victims of A
to Z Contracting Corp and let those victims know your intentions. They can be witnesses, offer up
depositions and join in on media interviews and stories. I’m currently working with a reporter in Los
Angeles with hopes of flushing out more of Regalados victims. Keep in mind that eleven judgements are on
file against Regalado in Los Angeles County, but many many more victims have not reported criminal
activity or filed lawsuits because the cost in time and money is greater than the restitution. And frankly the
complaints fall on deaf ears. Although Manny Regalado claims to be a wealthy retired reality show star, he
has no assets and the police consider Construction Fraud a civil matter. Regalado knows he can safely
commit fraud in King County.

Shoreline Police would not take a report on construction fraud, but as you can see from the articles below
about Joe D. Bergin and the outrageous fraud committed on homeowners in Kirkland, the decision to not
investigate or arrest Manny Regalado is obviously discretionary. In fact, law enforcement protects the
criminal from exposure. You will note that all of the news articles below refer to the one story I could find
of a builder being prosecuted as “The Builder” and not by his name Joe D. Bergin. Search JD Bergin
Homes. KOMO News Report

Better Businss Bureau Review 1 Star Sheri P 06/09/2019

“He is the one in the paper arrested for fraud over 5million. Do not use him. The work he did on our remodel was
not good. We were charged $50 for every time he went to the Dunn lumber. He would purchase small
miscellaneous things. Rags, paint cans, screws etc. It’s a remodel and you need to go pick up screws under 20$
charge me $50 for the trip plus 10% for him? Shady. He also went multiple times in one day. 12x! Call Kirkland
police if you need confirmation.”

Don’t waste your time. The State Attorney General will send you back to Labor and Industries. Don’t bother
calling to explain your pain and report the contractor.

“Whether you plan to build, remodel or add-on, your home improvement project may require the services of a
contractor. Your project may cost thousands of dollars, so choosing a qualified contractor is very important.
Occasionally, disputes between contractors and customers emerge due to construction defects, billing disputes,
liens, or other issues. It is important to note that state law primarily recognizes these disputes as contractual issues
best resolved through private legal action.”

FILE UNDER NOBODY CARES

Prepare a press release and email to all national and local media. Consider emailing to the electronic news
sources. Construction Fraud, Remodeling Fraud, Handyman Fraud is a worldwide crime and trillions of
dollars are lost, lives are ruined and people suffer in ways that are lost on law enforcement, government
agencies and the general public.

Did you dream of a new outdoor shed, deck, or garage, beautifully remodeled home, accessible bathroom
and kitchen? Did this dream become a very expensive nightmare? Were you left with wet moldy
spaces, open ceilings, leaking plumbing, dangerous wiring, cold in the winter and hot in the summer living
spaces? Are you disabled, suffering an illness, under cancer care and receiving treatments or in a death
spiral? People’s lives are ruined by the thousands upon thousands of predators like Manny Regalado.