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State and county officials made the fifth arrest Thursday in a
growing scandal at Miami-Dade's Building Department, in which
numerous new and remodelled homes received fraudulent county
approvals even though they had never been inspected.
The county Inspector General and the Miami-Dade State
Attorney's office arrested Mikel Isaac, 32, of Pembroke Pines,
on four separate warrants and charged him with grand theft,
practicing engineering without a license, practicing
architecture without a license, notary fraud and official
misconduct.
Isaac was previously arrested on Aug. 26 on similar charges
involving another property.
Investigators say Isaac promised homeowners he would guide
them through the inspection process and get them
''certificates of completion,'' which is the county's final
approval on a project.
But Inspector General Chris Mazzella said a county employee,
whose identity has not been released, was fraudulently giving
the Isaac and other contractors a pass on the process. He said
his agents have found at least ''150 dwellings'' that may have
avoided inspections meant to protect residents from everything
from electrical problems to hurricanes.
In one case that led to Thursday's arrest, Noe Toussaint, a
resident of Northeast Miami-Dade paid Isaac $2,364 last year
to legalize additions to his home that were built previously
without a permit.
Even though there were no inspections, Isaac presented
Toussaint with a Certificate of Completion, investigators say.
The Inspector General found ``exposed joists, improper
electric and an exposed unfinished roof, covered by a tarp.''
Mazzella said the scandal involves many more people and he
anticipates more arrests.
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