Man comes to court, gets arrested again By JORGE BARRIENTOS, Californian staff writer jbarrientos@bakersfield.com | Tuesday, Aug 26 2008 4:21 PM
Last Updated: Wednesday, Aug 27 2008 7:21 AM
A 39-year-old man appearing in Kern County Superior Court Tuesday for allegedly writing bad checks was handed 11 felony counts by Nevada officials after they surprised him with an arrest.
James Armando Rivera, 39, appeared in Kern County Superior Court Tuesday for allegedly writing bad checks and was handed 11 felony counts by Nevada officials when they surprised him with an arrest.
James Armando Rivera will most likely be extradited to Clark County Justice Court in Las Vegas to answer to the charges that include being a fugitive, obtaining money under false pretenses, engaging in business without a license and more, according to the Kern County District Attorney’s office.
Until Tuesday, Rivera was listed on the Nevada State Contractors Board 10 most wanted list.
Kern County Sheriff's Department arrested him on July 8 on warrants from 2005 for felony grand theft, embezzlement by an employee and for writing bad checks. He later posted bail.
Nevada officials planned to surprise him with an arrest in Kern County, said Art Nadler, spokesman for the contractor's board.
“We were just hoping he would show up for court, and he did,” Nadler said.
Rivera first sat in court with the public audience Tuesday morning. Then he sat handcuffed next to about 20 inmates — the only one not wearing jail clothes.
Nevada officials said Rivera operated in Nevada under the names of Pacific Sun Landscaping, E-Z Landscaping and Total Home Solutions without the owner's permission.
Corey Cox, owner of Pacific Sun Landscaping in Las Vegas, said Rivera worked for him for about six months. Rivera would ask for project deposits from clients under the company's name, had clients write checks made to Rivera and then bail on jobs, Cox said.
“I would get calls from people I didn't know existed asking when we were going to come out to finish the job,” Cox said.
The company had to finish the jobs started by Rivera, he said, and lost more than $25,000 because of him, he said.
“It caused me some headaches,” Cox said.
Rivera has a history in Kern County. In 2004, he pleaded no contest to fraudulent use of a false contractor's license. The same year he pleaded no contest to child stealing and violating a custody order. Rivera and his attorney did not immediately return requests for comment.
He is being held at Kern County Jail with no bail. His next hearing here is scheduled for Sept. 12.
