AN issue with a signature on hundreds of forms means a man faces a bill of $3.6 million, made up of individual $5,000 fines.
Enrique Fernandez Jr. from South Florida has been pulled up by officials who have assessed the signature he allegedly put on over 700 documents.
He is facing a $5,000 fine for each allegedly forged signature on the 724 documents as part of a civil lawsuit filed by The Florida Board of Professional Engineers.
They claim that Fernandez Jr. used his deceased father’s signature and credentials on numerous building inspection documents to conduct the work.
The signature of Enrique L Fernandez, who died in April 2018, has been found on project affidavits, building reports, and other city documentation.
Fernandez Jr. insists he has done no wrong and that the board have “the wrong Enrique Fernandez” or that someone else forged the signatures.
“That is not mine, sir,” he told an investigative reporter from ABC News affiliate WPLG when shown the documents with his name and signature.
The problem came to light last year when “Enrique Fernandez” had purportedly approved multiple major construction projects, including inspections for plumbing, electrical, and mechanical systems.
Alongside the signature was the license number 21218 – that of Fernandez Sr.
When investigating the claims, WPLG reportedly found evidence that Fernandez Jr. had renewed his dad’s license after his death.
He also allegedly ensured the credentials were passed on to him by altering information in the email system.
Using these fake credentials, he found work with several firms where he did inspections including for the government, approving a wealth of reports including for a nine-story building.
A board investigator said his alleged actions put the lives of others in grave danger.
“He’s done a job he wasn’t qualified for. These are big buildings. Unless and until something fails. Of course, you don’t necessarily know,” she told the outlet.
The inspector added that she was kept up at night with the investigation “waiting for another building to fall down for more people to die.”
In an unrelated incident in 2021, a 12-story beachfront condominium in Surfside, Miami, collapsed killing 98, highlighting the need for qualified engineers inspecting the structural safety of buildings.
Officials from local governments including Miami Beach, Fort Lauderdale and Miami-Dade County have confirmed that the inspections allegedly carried out by Fernandez Jr. were not structural.
In addition to this, companies that had hired him have had all of his alleged work re-evaluated.
One of which, the Tavistock Development Company called the situation an “unfortunate event” and said no issues or safety concerns were found in their reassessment.
Fernandez Jr. has not been criminally charged with a state investigator telling WPLG that it would be hard to do so as there is no victim.
“He forged a dead man’s signature and used a dead person’s seal. So it makes it more complicated criminally, because there’s no victim,” they said.
The Board of Professional Engineers’ 724-count complaint demands Fernandez Jr. pays $5k for each violation which could total $3.6 million.
“They have the wrong Enrique Fernandez,” Fernandez Jr. insists as he continues to deny the allegations.
The U.S. Sun has reached out to the Florida Board of Professional Engineers and Fernandez Jr’s attorney for comment and an update on the complaint.
