A Newburyport man has formally admitted to the act of defrauding a home repair insurance provider, according to announcements from the federal court in Boston. Christian Decristofaro, 40, entered a guilty plea to a charge of wire fraud, setting up the stage for his sentencing on June 23. After being arrested in October 2024, Decristofaro has found himself facing the possibility of a sentence that could include a substantial term in prison, fines, and restitution for his calculated scheme against the unnamed insurance company.
The case details, as released by the U.S. Attorney's Office, reveal that Decristofaro's fraudulent activities were an effort to systematically draw funds from the victim insurance provider. He accomplished this by enrolling fictitious homeowners with the insurance through a company he controlled, NE Premier Home Services LLC, and then billing for nonexistent repair jobs. It's reported that from about October 2020 to June 2023, the insurance provider was inaccurately billed roughly $2.196 million for work that was never even begun to be done.
Wire fraud, the charge Decristofaro pleaded guilty to, carries a potential sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison. Additional punishments could include up to three years of supervised release and a hefty fine. The United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Special Agent in Charge Jodi Cohen of the FBI have been identified as the officials in charge of the announcement. The prosecution is being led by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Meghan C. Cleary and Leslie A. Wright, each belonging to the Criminal Division.
