Escambia County Man Facing 93 Felony Fraud Counts For Contracting Without License In Building Five Homes

May 14, 2021

An Escambia County man is facing 93 felony charges after allegedly engaging in a systematic course of conduct with the intent to defraud multiple people in conjunction with the construction of five houses.

Carl Zarlmane Likely, Sr., was charged with 92 separate third degree felony counts of fraud for false identifying as a contractor, one count of third degree felony fraud obtaining property valued at more than $50,000, and one second degree felony count of dealing in stolen property.

According to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, Likely engaged in a systematic course of conduct with the intent to defraud multiple people.

He would obtain building supplies purchased with a fraudulent credit card and then use those supplies in the construction of a duplex and four other new builds in Escambia County, according to an arrest report. The supplies were purchased at building supply retailers in Escambia and surrounding counties.

Likely would pull Escambia County permits unders the license of another contactor, the report states. That contractor had listed Likely on their letter of authorization with Escambia County Building Inspections for the purpose of building a duplex on his own property, but the contractor said he was unaware that Likely was pulling additional permits, the report continues.

Investigators obtained a notarized contractor’s final payment affidavit on which Likely identifies himself as the owner of the contracting company. Notices of commencement and building permit applications were completed and signed by Likely identifying him as owner of the building company, according to the report.

Two of the five homes are currently for sale for $185,000 each, and one for $199,000.

Likely is also accused of using a fraudulent Green Dot card to purchase nearly $10,000 in shingles.

Likely was released from the Escambia County Jail on a $234,000 bond.

Comments

31 Responses to “Escambia County Man Facing 93 Felony Fraud Counts For Contracting Without License In Building Five Homes”

  1. Richard Ohde on March 10th, 2023 3:59 pm

    I put a deposit de for a house he was supposed to have ready the 1st and I can’t get ahold of him

  2. Roland kyser on May 18th, 2021 5:07 pm

    Our prayers are with you . Mr & Mrs Kyser

  3. Bewildered on May 17th, 2021 2:33 pm

    Sorry, I hate thieves. who pays the thousands upon thousands in fraudulent credit card charges? Easy to say rightful owners of the cards are only responsible for a token amount – but good Lord People – where is your head – we all pay for his „free“ building materials in the long run

  4. Bo williams on May 17th, 2021 9:49 am

    He is a guy doing whatever it takes.He turns me onto jobs and I’ve worked around him for 5 years or more He is a good man and he’s always done what he said he was gonna do.im pulling for the small man ,I enjoyed seeing someone that came from nothing fighting for himself and his family and succeeding. .He works every day and I sure wish that this would all go away and he could move forward like he was doing.

  5. Hmmm on May 15th, 2021 10:34 am

    @Rob – I see what you did there!

  6. MARGARETJOHNSON on May 15th, 2021 10:05 am

    The whole point of the matter is dial should not steal Thou shalt not lie and thou shalt not defraud. Neighbor and those are the words of your creator. So anyone that think what he did was right because he worked hard then you need to examine your heart. We are not here to judge him but God’s words judge him, and to align yourself with the things that he have done means your spirit is open to things that’s not of God. Have a blessed day

  7. Katina on May 15th, 2021 9:23 am

    I went to school with Carl. Carl was a very talented young man with a good heart. Praying for him and his family.

  8. Telacey on May 14th, 2021 11:34 pm

    Hell we all are guilty of something!!!

  9. Rob on May 14th, 2021 9:53 pm

    Carl Likely will get a lot of Time!

  10. Michelle Watley on May 14th, 2021 8:52 pm

    And how many of you all have company or work for one that suppose too be sooo license and professional and still rip people off specialist senior citizen and the reason why I am saying this because they happen to my mom when she call a company to have the roof done and they overcharger knowing that it was only
    That actually the price was supposed to be $5,000 and some change not if she wanted and this supposed to be a big company she could have sued them . The most it should have been with six thousand but not with a charge on Mom so I said I pray to God that somebody see this man and help this man and help him starts a business kudos to him because he is not out selling drugs robbing anybody or anything

  11. BT on May 14th, 2021 6:47 pm

    Nobody said the construction work was bad. I assume the jobs had to pass inspections. Paying for materials with fraudulent credit cards is a bit of a problem though…

  12. Cynthia Tyson on May 14th, 2021 6:45 pm

    Good Evening He Was A Talent Young Man Am Not Here To Judge Am Here To Pray For All God Bless Them All God Can Fix Things Know Matters What We Go Threw Praying For All God Bless You All

  13. Stacia L Vaught on May 14th, 2021 6:05 pm

    Yes who ARE we to JUDGE??? WE have absolutely no clue the entire situation maybe he had no means of starting a business either way he was working for his money he wasn’t out he selling drugs!!! Which would you people rather seriously!!! You all do nothing but complain either way when a poor man does whatever it takes to get somewhere in life. God forgive you and shame on you to judge because it is NOT your place to especially when I am sure you know absolutely NOTHING about the man or his reasonings for doing what he did!

  14. Kevin on May 14th, 2021 5:57 pm

    This guy did more than lie. He went to lumber companies with false credentials and defrauded the small business men in our community. Angela White doesn’t know the whole truth about what he did. I do. I work at a lumber company that he and his “helpers ” scammed for thousands of dollars. I wish him well too. A long life in prison. His kind are the reason insurance is so high. His kind are why the small business man/woman have to raise prices so high just to survive! His good work on these houses in no way means that he wouldn’t have scammed the people if given the chance.

  15. Laquia Redmond on May 14th, 2021 5:02 pm

    Now here it is his Mane is honestly trying to make a living he might not have done things completely the right way okay I get it but he’s not out here selling drugs or killing nobody everybody knows that when you give somebody your money it’s up to you to check out and see about the person credentials but if he did good work for the money that they paid him then I don’t think nothing is wrong with it if he did a honest job I don’t think that there’s nothing wrong with it now if he stole money from are someone’s personal information and yes he should be accountable for that but give the man credit where credit is due if he did a good job on the houses hey give the man credit where credit is too but if he stole someone’s personal information then he should be charged for that and especially if someone was really trying to help him cuz he probably just could have just asked him and that they probably would have just helped them but I think that they should give him a break cuz he could have been out doing something worse than that

  16. Steven Buckley on May 14th, 2021 5:00 pm

    When a contractor tells you to pull the permit YOURSELF its a scam.
    A lot of scammers are pulling permits using someone else
    Liscense .
    They are just paying the liscense holder a fee.

  17. Angela Davis on May 14th, 2021 3:29 pm

    He worked in my community and built several duplexes all housed with decent people! Not sure what happened but he executed quality work in a timely fashion,sounds like the.general contractor assisted him so if only he had a contractor’s license this wouldn’t be an issue ! This guy didnt scam the tenants or home buyers he didnt have a license and Florida is all about the licenses ! I wish him the best of luck!

  18. Denise on May 14th, 2021 2:41 pm

    He did my neighbor roof excellent job! Ask him to write up me an estimate for my roof he never got back back with me and thank God he didn’t

  19. Cash on May 14th, 2021 1:29 pm

    I know him he’s a all around crook!

  20. Monica croom on May 14th, 2021 1:08 pm

    Well who are we to judge.That’s just one side to the story I find it hard to believe the other contractor didn’t know anything.

  21. Neisy on May 14th, 2021 12:11 pm

    KARMAS

  22. Chelleepea on May 14th, 2021 10:10 am

    What a waste of talent…..too bad he used his talent to defraud when he could have made a good living building houses!

  23. seriously lisa? on May 14th, 2021 9:58 am

    Seriously, Lisa Young?
    You hate that happened? What, getting caught?! Because nothing “happened.” He DID what he did, knowingly!
    Working and trying to make money? He used a fraudulent credit card to get things started and then used someone else’s license to pull permits. He could have went about “working hard” the RIGHT way and got his own contractor’s license and used his own money to get started. Instead, he STOLE and LIED to make money. I don’t care if he was hot and sweaty working his butt off with manual labor on the jobs, he didn’t do it legitimately and that’s what matters!! I swear I don’t understand how people like you think it’s okay to lie and steal and cheat…as long as someone is working hard doing it? Give me a break!
    93 felony charges!!

  24. paul on May 14th, 2021 9:38 am

    Licensed and bonded, otherwise send them packing, he’s nothing but a common thief..

  25. Shonda on May 14th, 2021 9:09 am

    Sad… At least he was helping people get HOMES and not DRUGS‼️‼️ He must’ve did a GREAT job on the house’s, because I didn’t READ any complaints about them. Also, he had 2 for sale, must was lovely……

  26. SueB on May 14th, 2021 7:34 am

    Fraudulent credit card used? No Alerts noticed by the Credit Card company to the owner of the credit card?
    Released on bond? What did he put up for bond? The five (5) houses?

  27. Bill Middlebrooks on May 14th, 2021 7:22 am

    I’m sure his victims thought they were getting a good deal. Find a trustworthy real contractor and get what you pay for instead of a scam!

  28. paul on May 14th, 2021 7:16 am

    Hmm he seems kinda sketchy, better check him out with the BBB.

  29. Rasheed Jackson on May 14th, 2021 6:55 am

    Seems to be a very industrious individual. Sad, he decided to use fraud and ride on the illegal side of the fence. Maybe he will use this as a learning experience and change his ways but that is highly un-Likely!!

  30. Lisa Young on May 14th, 2021 2:23 am

    So basically, he working and trying to make money. Actually doing hard work too. Hate that this happened

  31. Darrell on May 14th, 2021 2:22 am

    Did he use the Green Dot card to bail himself out too? $23,400 for bail is not cheap!