TAMPA, Fla. — An unlicensed contractor in Pasco County, accused of taking hundreds of thousands of dollars from homeowners for work he started but never finished, has been convicted in two cases and now faces a trial in a separate Hillsborough County case.
“I feel like I received justice from my case against Jason Wallace,” said Benissa Smallwood. She says Wallace owes her more than $47,000. “I was pretty much left with no floors, nothing in my kitchen but my refrigerator plugged into an outlet.”
“He had all of my appliances on the patio. I had no bathroom. I had no laundry room,” she told 10 Investigates earlier this year.
In October, Wallace was adjudicated guilty in Pasco County on five charges in two separate cases for unlicensed contracting, failing to obtain workers’ compensation and working without a building permit. He was placed on probation and ordered to pay restitution.
The Department of Business and Professional Regulation also levied charges against Wallace in the form of an administrative order. The state fined him an additional $6,000.
Wallace still faces charges in Hillsborough County, where a Brandon couple says he didn’t complete contracted renovations and left their home a mess. He did not show up for his last court hearing. His case is now headed to trial in early 2026. He faces charges for unlicensed contracting and stealing from someone 65 years of age or older.
“I think he’s a coward in every way and action,” said Deloris Hilliard. “Not just a fraud but actually a coward with what he did to all of us– to the victims and to myself.”
Hilliard told 10 Investigates she emptied an inheritance from her brother’s death to pay Wallace for his work.
Experts say homeowners should always search DBPR to verify a contractor’s license instead of taking his or her word at face value. Homeowners should also get proof of insurance and evidence that the hired contractor has pulled the right permits for the work being done.
Emerald Morrow is an investigative reporter with 10 Tampa Bay News. Like her on Facebook and follow her on X. You can also email her at emorrow@10tampabay.com.