Law enforcement officers with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services today completed an undercover sting operation on JP’S Local Moving of Monroe County and charged one individual, John Gibson Parker, 62, with operating an unlicensed moving company. Parker was previously arrested for the same offense in 2013.
Department investigators conducted the undercover operation by staging an intrastate household move with JP’s Local Moving at a pre-determined location in Monroe County. Parker, the owner of JP’s Local Moving, brokered the move with undercover investigators and was found to be in violation of Chapter 507.11(2) of Florida State Statute, conducting household moving services without a license. Parker was transported without incident to the Monroe County Jail by investigators.
The violation of operating a moving company without holding a valid license from the department carries a maximum penalty of up to one year in jail and up to a $1,000 fine.
To check the registration status or complaint history of moving companies or to register a complaint against a moving company in Florida, consumers can call the department’s toll-free hotline, 1-800-HELP-FLA (435-7352).
For more information about the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, visit FreshFromFlorida.com.
