JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The I-TEAM is asking why a Jacksonville roofer who is facing multiple felony charges was still allowed to legally work as a contractor in the city in the nearly two-month span since his first arrest.
Roger Van Den Bosch, the owner of Kinnecorps LLC, was arrested Monday on five charges, including fraud and theft. Investigators working for Florida’s chief financial officer said Van Den Bosch defrauded clients out of more than $50,000 by taking money, including payments from insurance companies, and not doing the work. State investigators claim Van Den Bosch also forged the signatures of his clients on insurance checks.
Van Den Bosch’s previous arrest was on Oct. 25, on a charge of workers’ compensation fraud. He posted bond and was released from jail the same day. Court documents allege that in February, he failed to have workers’ compensation insurance coverage. He has since pleaded not guilty to that charge.
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The I-TEAM has learned that since that first arrest, Van Den Bosch continued to secure city permits for roofing and plumbing jobs, obtaining at least 11 permits for projects in Jacksonville. He also obtained a permit for a roofing job in Clay County on Nov. 2, and pulled permits for work in St. Johns County on Nov. 6 and Nov. 26.
It is customary for contractors to obtain a deposit from homeowners before pulling permits and beginning work, which is why the I-TEAM is concerned for consumers.
Two days after Van Den Bosch’s latest arrest, the city of Jacksonville’s Construction Trades Qualifying Board did suspend his licenses, which include roofing and plumbing licenses.
The I-TEAM wanted to know why Van Den Bosch was still able to collect money from consumers, following his first arrest. A city spokesperson told us that the process to suspend his construction licenses did start on Nov. 8, after officials learned of the first arrest. But city officials learned Van Den Bosch was in compliance with workers’ compensation rules at that time, so they didn’t suspend his license.
Following the second arrest, the city construction board did suspend Van Den Bosch’s licenses, based on allegations that he is out of compliance with city ordinance codes and state workers compensation coverage requirements. As a result of the license suspension, a city spokesperson said Van Den Bosch would be unable to pull any construction permits.
The I-TEAM searched a city permit database and noticed that some permits had been paid for on Thursday, following the license suspension. We were told those permits had been previously applied for, and were pending payment, which was submitted to the city. However, due to the suspension, the city has now placed those permits into “work stopped” status.
The I-TEAM has also reached out to county building departments in Clay, Nassau, and St. Johns counties, to see if they were aware of Van Den Bosch’s arrests, and find out about the status of his licenses and permits there. We are still waiting to hear back.
Van Den Bosch was originally held on $175,000 bond following this latest arrest. A judge reduced his bond Wednesday afternoon, and he posted bond on Thursday.
The I-TEAM has reached out to both Van Den Bosch and his attorney for comment, but they have not yet responded.
If you have an issue involving Kinnecorps, you can file complaints with the following organizations and agencies:
- Florida Chief Financial Officer: Call 1-877-MY-FL-CFO (1-877-693-5236) and ask to file a complaint
The BBB’s website also offers advice for consumers on hiring a roofing contractor in Florida.