in recent years.
The Sacramento Bee reported that the Contractors State License Board had conducted an investigation that found Abe Alizadeh, while serving as president of Stonegate Construction, diverted construction funds and failed to pay subcontractors and materials suppliers.
Before the license can be restored, Alizadeh is required to prove that he has paid the bills he owes his subcontractors and suppliers. He must also pay the License Board $16,386 to cover the costs of its investigation.
Alizadeh came to the United States in 1977 as a teenager and built a chain of Jack-in-the-Box and TGI Friday franchise restaurants in Northern California. He also entered the commercial real estate business. In June, several of his real estate firms filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
Alizadeh has pleaded not guilty to criminal charges filed by California asserting that he failed to pay the state more than $7 million in state sales taxes that he had collected and payroll taxes that he owed.