A Naples man was sentenced to five years in prison and 15 years of probation for a fraud scheme involving forged documents that he used to obtain contracting jobs, despite not having a license.
According to court documents, William Burgess, 68, spoke with the owner of a Tampa construction and management company, agreeing to help him get jobs in Collier County.
The case began at the Collier County Clerk’s Office after they found evidence of fraud related to contracts and building permits.
Burgess reportedly forged the name of a licensed contractor on building permit applications. He also accepted jobs while being unlicensed and took payments without the contractor’s knowledge.
It was revealed that the notary employed by Burgess notarized documents without the witness present, at the direction of Burgess. He also created similar-sounding companies to defraud customers by getting them to enter into contracts and not perform any of the work.
In August 2022, Burgess turned himself in to the Collier County Sheriff's Office after a warrant was issued for his arrest.
Burgess was sentenced for one count of organized fraud over $50,000. He also was ordered to pay more than $400,000 in restitution for the fraud scheme.