Last April, City Manager Julio Avael gleefully revealed that local electrical worker Jesus Cepero had come forward to allege that he had done unlicensed electrical contracting work at the home of then-suspended Key West Building Department Director Catherine Harding. This was one of the charges that Avael compiled to justify his subsequent firing of Harding.
But in revealing Cepero's confession, Avael, in essence, "ratted" on his source. And, now, the Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulation (BPR) is asking questions.
Key West The Newspaper has learned that BPR investigators have interviewed Avael, as well as new Building Department Director Charles Stephenson— and that they were trying to track down Cepero.
If Cepero gets in trouble, he can blame Avael for blabbing his indiscretion to the world. But Cepero, himself, didn't help his cause when he admitted to a Key West Citizen reporter that he had, indeed, done unlicensed work.
Cepero told the Citizen that he was "in the process of getting licensed by the state." But BPR officials said that's not the case.
"No one by that name has applied for a license," said BPR spokeswoman Lonnie Parizek.
And the fact that Cepero is unlicensed is why BPR officials can talk about their investigation. "If he were a licensed professional, we would not be able to either confirm or deny that there is an ongoing investigation," Parizek said.
What could happen to Cepero?
"If we determine that someone is doing electrical contracting work without a license, we issue a cease and desist order and refer the matter to the State Attorney," Parizek said.
Back in 1996, it was the BPR that virtually closed down the Building Department here when investigators discovered that 10 employees were working without proper licenses. One of those employees was current Building Department head Charles Stephenson.
Stay tuned.