Man charged with posing as licensed contractor

PORT CHARLOTTE — Charlotte County deputies arrested a man for allegedly taking funds from a client without completing work.

Nicholas Ryan Carrington, 37, faces charges for taking $50,000 for a home renovation in 2023, according to arrest records released late Friday.

He was also charged with falsely presenting himself as a licensed contractor, a charge enhanced by doing so during the post-Hurricane Ian state of emergency.

Carrington is the latest in a series of suspects arrested on charges of either failure to follow-through on contracts, falsely presenting as a licensed contractor, or both.

The complainant contacted Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office in August 2023, alleging fraud by Carrington after they agreed to a contract in June 2023.

At the time, Carrington allegedly showed his client a business card with his purported contractor license number.

“Because she believed he was a legitimate licensed contractor, (the client) did not research Nicholas any further and contracted him to do the necessary repairs,” the arrest report read.

Deputies initially advised the complainant that her case appeared to be civil and not criminal. However, a criminal investigation was later opened after a Charlotte County Code Compliance Officer confirmed the contractor license number was not legitimate.

By October, CCSO investigators learned the Punta Gorda Police detectives had opened an inquiry into Carrington. In January, Carrington was contacted by authorities.

According to authorities, people in both cases positively identified Carrington as the contractor in a photo lineup.

Carrington was arrested Wednesday and later bonded out of Charlotte County Jail on $45,000 total bond. His arraignment is scheduled for Oct. 7.