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Subject - AIR CONDITIONING INSTALLER SENTENCED TO 10 DAYS
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Lghtning4u
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ILLEGAL AIR CONDITIONING INSTALLER SENTENCED TO 10 DAYS IN JAIL Butler Disregarded Several Orders, Injunction Telling Him to Stop
Darryn Butler was ordered several times to stop performing work on air conditioning systems until he met state qualifications and earned a state air conditioning contractor's license. Butler persisted, however, and now he is going to jail for it.
Judge Rose Vela of the 148th District Count in Nueces County sentenced Butler, 46, of Corpus Christi, to 10 days in jail Wednesday for violating probation he was assessed in Nueces County on July 1, 2004, on a charge of securing execution of a document by deception. That charge arose from Butler's unlicensed air conditioning activities. A term of probation prohibited Butler from performing unlicensed air conditioning work
Butler also was assessed a 60-day jail term, probated for two years, on October 13, 2004 when he was found in contempt of court in a Travis County district court for violating an injunction issued December 3, 2002, ordering him to stop performing air conditioning work without a license. The injunction was issued after Butler disregarded a cease and desist order issued by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) ordering him to stop performing air conditioning work until he earned a license. That term of probation is not affected by Wednesday's action.
Butler violated the probated term by continuing to perform, or offering to perform unlicensed air conditioning work. His latest infractions were documented for the court by TDLR investigators.
Butler must report to Nueces County Jail to begin serving his sentence on March 4. Following the 10-day jail term, Butler will be required to serve 60 days in jail on a work release program. He will be required to serve two days a week in jail until the 60 days are satisfied.
"Mr. Butler just refused to get the message," said William Kuntz, TDLR's executive director. "We expect this will get his attention. Improperly installed air conditioning equipment can be dangerous. TDLR will not allow Mr. Butler or anyone else to place Texas consumers or their property at risk by performing work they haven't proven themselves capable of."
As term of the plea bargain, Butler agreed to provide the court with a list of all consumers he has worked for since he was placed on probation for the contempt of court violation in October. The list will allow inspectors to revisit all of Butler's installations to make sure the systems he worked on are safe. Failure to provide a complete list could result in further legal action, said Nueces County Assistant District Attorney Kanon Bernard Lillemon, who prosecuted Butler. TDLR encourages any consumers who may have hired Butler to file a complaint via TDLR's website or by calling TDLR's enforcement division at 1-512-463-2906.
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