Man Catches Break With Fraud Charge After Crestmoor Fire

A contractor who was accused of violating state labor law for work he did in the disaster area following the Sept. 9 pipeline explosion has caught a break. 

Jason Pippin, 39, of San Mateo was facing a felony count for contracting in a disaster area without a license. But a San Mateo County Superior Court judge on Friday reduced the charge to a misdemeanor and required Pippin to comply with several requirements over the next year to prevent jail time or fines. 

Pippin, who owns Connell's Glass Co. in Burlingame, was swapping out a broken window when amid a multi-agency sweep of the Crestmoor neighborhood following the fire.

Pippin told San Bruno Patch that he was in the affected area helping a friend and was not charging for the resident’s services.

He said his contractor's license had recently lapsed. 

To comply with the judge’s orders, Pippin can’t hire any employees, and he has to obtain worker's compensation insurance and notify the district attorney’s office if he hires anyone during the next year.

The other contractor, William Warfield, 51, has pleaded not guilty to a misdemeanor charge for allegedly failing to have worker's compensation insurance for an employee working with him in the Crestmoor area in the aftermath of the explosion. His case is still ongoing.