California authorities have charged two men with a 12-year scam in which the pair allegedly posed as licensed professionals and drew up engineering and architectural plans for homes, apartments, commercial properties, and strip malls.
Using stolen software, Wilfrido Rodriguez and Ruben Gutierrez allegedly provided bogus plans for hundreds of buildings in at least 56 Southern California cities beginning in 2003. Because neither of the men had the training, expertise, or credentials to vouch for the safety of the building plans, these structures may have to be demolished.
Authorities said the scope of this case is unprecedented, and at this stage they can’t be sure that the buildings are safe for occupancy. Law enforcement officials are working with the state Board of Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors and Geologists to determine the scope and risk posed by the alleged fraud.
Rodriguez and Gutierrez had previously worked for the Palos Verdes Engineering Company before initiating the alleged scam.
Related Stories
Codes and Standards | Oct 11, 2016
Historic preservation moving beyond saving grand old buildings
National Trust for Historic Preservation CEO says the focus is on saving cities, not just buildings
Codes and Standards | Oct 10, 2016
Los Angeles voters will decide whether high-density developments should be harder to build
A March vote on the Neighborhood Integrity Initiative would put 2-year ban on zoning changes
Codes and Standards | Oct 10, 2016
New sustainable landscape development and management credential launched
GBCI offered the first testing opportunity Oct. 3 at Greenbuild
Codes and Standards | Oct 6, 2016
Obama administration will spend $80 million for smart cities initiatives
The technology is targeted for climate, transportation, resiliency.
Codes and Standards | Oct 6, 2016
New York City files criminal charges on owner for deadly building façade accident
The owner allegedly did not heed warning about danger of the crumbling exterior.
Codes and Standards | Oct 5, 2016
New York becomes the first city to adopt a target for energy storage
Mayor de Blasio also announces increased solar generation goals
Codes and Standards | Oct 4, 2016
New global residential floor space measurement standard unveiled
The new standards will produce better transparency and are said to benefit investors.
Codes and Standards | Sep 29, 2016
Dept. of Energy forecasts big jump in LED use, resulting energy savings
Big gains are expected in both commercial and residential markets.
Codes and Standards | Sep 28, 2016
San Francisco commercial, multifamily regulations aim to reduce traffic volume
City planners will require design features to cut miles driven.
Codes and Standards | Sep 28, 2016
Society of Landscape Architects releases guide to resilient design
The goal is to retrofit communities to better withstand extreme weather events.
