MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. — An alleged contractor accused of scamming homeowners is off the streets following an arrest tied to a months-long investigation in El Portal.

Eight months ago, Local 10 told you about Ian McKenzie, who said he was out $12,000 after hiring a man he believed was a licensed contractor to remodel his kitchen. That contractor, police say, was Michael Martinez.

“He took my money and never completed anything,” McKenzie said at the time.

Since then, El Portal investigators have been working to track Martinez down.

According to police, he was eventually located in the greater Fort Lauderdale area, but jurisdictional issues between Miami-Dade and Broward counties required investigators to obtain a warrant with extradition.

That warrant was signed by a judge Thursday, leading El Portal police and the Broward Sheriff’s Office to Martinez’s location.

“He was surprised, he was emotional and the Broward Sheriff’s Office took him into custody without any incident,” said Sgt. Renee Gutierrez of El Portal police.

Gutierrez said Martinez appeared to recognize why officers were there.

“He referred to it as ‘the kitchen thing,’” she said, adding that Martinez even mentioned the case to his son, who was inside the home at the time.

Investigators say the 61-year-old appears to have a history of fraudulent contracting work. In another case previously reported by Local 10, a homeowner hired Martinez in December 2022 to remodel a kitchen and bathroom and install a pool, paying more than $17,000 upfront.

Two years later, the homeowner sued Martinez and was awarded $52,000.

Police say the alleged scams all follow a similar pattern and are urging residents to be cautious.

“People cannot fall for these scams,” Gutierrez said. “Don’t give large deposits, require materials to be purchased and always ask for licenses.”

Investigators say Martinez did not have a contractor’s license.

While this is the first case of its kind in the village of El Portal, Gutierrez said similar scams are becoming increasingly common elsewhere.

Police also say another alleged victim has since come forward in a Miami-Dade case, claiming Martinez scammed them out of $20,000.

Martinez was booked into the Broward County Jail and appears to have since been extradited to Miami-Dade, where he faces charges connected to the alleged scams.

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