September 25, 2014 – Willy Miranda, operating as Miranda Electric, has been convicted for a fourth time on charges related to performing electrical work illegally in two homes.

The Markham, Ont., court found him guilty on two counts of performing electrical work without an electrical contractor’s licence—the same charge Miranda has been convicted of on all previous occasions. The court imposed a total fine of $12,500 for the most recent violations.

According to Ontario’s Electrical Safety Authority (ESA), numerous hazards were found in both homes that Miranda had completely rewired. The investigation also found that Miranda falsely obtained an electrical permit in the homeowners name for completely rewiring a home and changing the electrical panel. The homeowner hired a general contractor who then sub-contracted the work to Miranda. The homeowner also hired the same general contractor and Miranda at a second residence. To address the safety issues, the homeowner had to incur additional expense to hire a Licensed Electrical Contractor to make repairs.

“This homeowner was the unfortunate victim of an individual who circumvented the law and ultimately put the safety of the homeowner and others at risk. It also meant the renovation took more time and money to complete,” said Normand Breton, ESA general manager, harm mitigation, who oversees its electrical contractor licensing system.

“If a contractor can’t provide an electrical permit or tells you take out the permit on their behalf, this is an almost sure sign that the contractor isn’t licensed.”

ESA is reminding consumers to follow The 3 Cs:

• check to ensure the contractor holds a valid ECRA/ESA electrical contractor licence (you can search the database at www.esasafe.com)
• confirm that they are arranging the appropriate inspections from ESA
• call ESA at (877) 372-7233 when you suspect someone is misrepresenting themselves.