A Yavapai County judge has sentenced an unlicensed contractor to over 43 years in prison for stealing from elderly victims. Sixty-four-year-old Mark A. Whittington of Chino Valley, was sentenced Monday. Whittington was found guilty in August of fraud schemes, theft and contracting without a license. In a prior case, he was found convicted of seven counts of theft and advertising without a contractor’s license and was placed on intensive probation and ordered to repay the money he took from his victims. In both matters, Whittington contracted with victims to perform expensive home remodeling or repairs, even though he wasn’t a licensed contractor. He took around $70-thousand in total from eight victims, despite failing to complete the work he agreed to do. In some cases he didn’t do any work at all and refused to return calls and letters from the victims. Yavapai County Attorney Dennis McGrane reminds residents that if you are having someone do home repairs to “check references and contact the Arizona Registrar of Contractors to confirm they are a licensed contractor in good standing.”