Engineer tells California board he is remorseful, asks to reinstate licenses after 2018 revocation

An Oakland engineer whose licenses were revoked after a 2018 stipulated settlement told the Board that he is remorseful, has completed court-ordered terms, and asked for restoration so he can resume mentoring and limited project work.

The petitioner, identified in the hearing as Mr. Sodipo, said he did not intend to break the law when he continued to sign engineering plans after his license renewals lapsed. He repeatedly described being overwhelmed by business and cash-flow problems during a multi-year downturn and said he “never intended” to take money improperly. He told the panel he pleaded guilty to a single count related to signing plans while not current and was sentenced to 16 days of community service and three years’ probation; he said probation ended in April 2021.

Board members and the attorney for the People questioned the petitioner about why he failed to cooperate with the Board’s investigation years earlier. The petitioner acknowledged he “stuck [his] head in the sand,” told the Board he was overwhelmed by financial pressures and staff losses after a burglary and other business setbacks, and said he regretted…