INDIAN RIVER COUNTY – A general contractor accused of diverting tens of thousands of dollars in roofing business payments into his own business and personal bank accounts, also faces weapons charges after authorities said he fired a gun in a dispute over boat repairs and brandished a handgun in a local Walmart.
Checks from insurance companies and Sebastian homeowners to roofing companies were signed and deposited by a Sebastian man hired as a local sales representative for at least two of the businesses, according to statements to detectives in law enforcement records.
Palm Bay and Sanford area roofers hired Ricardo Barrera of R&M Renovations LLC for contract work and to act as a representative for local customers, according to the records.
The roofing business owners and insurance company representatives told detectives he had fraudulently signed and deposited several roofing contract installment payments.
Investigations into the statements led to Barrera’s April 25, May 18 and May 23 arrests for instances dating back to 2023.
Indian River County Sheriff’s Office opened two investigations into allegations from an insurance company along with DR Roofers and Luxury Roofing Servicewhile Sebastian Police Department focused on his activity with the latter business.
Barrera was charged by police with organized fraud of more than $20,000 but less than $50,000, depositing with intent to defraud and second-degree grand theft in a Sebastian warrant signed and served May 23.
He was charged by the Sheriff's Office with second-degree grand theft, depositing with intent to defraud, criminal use of personal ID information and uttering a forged instrument in the May 18 arrest. In the April 25 arrest he was charged with organized fraud, four counts each of the following: criminal use of personal ID information, depositing with intent to defraud and third-degree grand theft.
An estimated $17,834 was taken through what detectives stated was “a systematic, ongoing course of conduct with intent to defraud…”, in which Barrera “fraudulently used personal identification …” to deposit at least four checks.
In a statement to detectives, a business owner said Barrera “for a moment worked as a vendor of roofs, (and) charged checks in the name of R&M Renovations LLC …”, but he then began to sign insurance company checks on behalf of the roofing company and “convinced (customers) to make them pay for the job under (his business’) account.”
In a separate instance, Sebastian detectives said Barrera took almost $33,000 in payments made from customers and insurance companies to Luxury Roofing Services, LLC.
The owner told police Barrera was “a contractor who works for Luxury Roofing LLC but does not have endorsem*nt power for the company,” however he had “deposited … two checks possibly into one or two bank accounts belonging to R&M Exterior Renovation.”
In April, Sebastian police spoke with one owner of Luxury Roofing Services LLC of Sanford about Barrera who said he was a salesman who made contracts with customers to replace roofs.
In one instance, a customer told detectives Barrera drove him to a bank and met a banking officer and they went through signatures, and while there, he signed for the roofing company owner.
The check was endorsed by the couple, an insurance adjuster and the bank, along with Barrera’s fraudulent signature of the roofing business owner.
Detectives subpoenaed Barrera’s bank records and matched the deposit activity with the checks written to the companies.
In several instances, detectives said the “roofing owner completed the job … at additional personal cost because he did not want his business to suffer any bad publicity.”
Time ranges for the alleged fraudulent activity date back to March 2023 and as recently as March 2024.
Weapons charges unrelated to fraud charges
The weapons charges arose from episodes on Feb. 25 and 26.
Sebastian police arrested Barrera March 1 and charged him with improper exhibition of a firearm or weapon after records show he attempted to stop someone Feb. 25 accused of theft from leaving the Sebastian Walmart by grabbing him, holding him at gunpoint and also waving the weapon around with customers and employees nearby.
The next day, the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office went to a Micco residence and talked with people there who said Barrera had pointed a gun at a man in a dispute over costs for boat repairs and that he fired once after pointing the gun at the man’s head. He was charged with aggravated assault without intent to kill.
Detectives noted his arrest history, and said in 2020 he was banned from owning weapons by a judge following “threats to pharmacy employees, including threats to kill family members,” at a pharmacy in Indian River County, but that the ban was lifted in December 2021.
He remains in the Indian River County Jail without bail.
Corey Arwood is a breaking news reporter for TCPalm. Follow @coreyarwood on X, email corey.arwood@tcpalm.com or call 772-978-2246
More:Two women killed in hit-run crash in IRC; Driver arrested after search
More:Couple jailed after 2-year-old 'barricaded' in closet; another with bad diaper rash in PSL
More:Property values up in St. Lucie for 12th straight year, but growth continues to slow
