North Dakota Secretary of State Al Jaeger is recommending a Fargo house-moving business be investigated for not having a contractor's license.
In a letter sent to Cass County State's Attorney Birch Burdick Monday, Jaeger requested a review and investigation of Triumph Inc., a new company operated by Michael Trevino of Fargo that purports to move, refurbish and sell homes for less than $100,000.
If Trevino is acting as a contractor without a license for jobs costing more than $2,000, he could be found guilty of a Class B misdemeanor, Jaeger said.
Burdick passed the recommendation on to one of his investigative team leaders upon receiving it Monday afternoon, he said.
It is unclear how long it might take to investigate the case, especially without knowing more details, Burdick said.
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Trevino's business attracted attention after it was featured in The Forum's business section earlier this month.
Some readers contacted The Forum, interested in finding out how they could buy a home. Others were alarmed to hear that the company was being run by Trevino, who has a history of theft in the house-moving business.
According to North Dakota court records, Trevino is still on probation after being convicted of theft and sentenced to five years in prison with three years suspended. He also faces tens of thousands of dollars in outstanding civil judgments.
State court records show more than 60 cases filed against him, including criminal prosecutions for theft, no-account checks and nonsufficient fund checks; civil collection cases; small claims actions; traffic tickets; child support enforcement and restraining orders. He was prosecuted and sued for failure to obtain workers compensation coverage in 1999-2000.
Trevino advertised his business in The Forum as Triumph Development Inc., even though it is registered with the secretary of state as Triumph Inc.
The advertisement ran once in the paper.
Normally, if a contractor is found working without a license, the secretary of state's office contacts them to let them know they are breaking the law, Jaeger said.
Trevino "should be pretty well versed in the law" due to his history in the house-moving business, Jaeger said.
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Readers can reach Forum reporter Lisa Schneider at (701) 241-5529
