A Southington man who owns a Middletown roofing company has been charged with defrauding a workers’ compensation insurance carrier after investigators say they found employees working job sites who were never reported to the company’s insurer. Luis Pomaquiza, 42, owns LA Roofing LLC, and he is due in court this week to answer the allegations.
According to Patch, the case stemmed from coordinated visits to roof-replacement job sites in Southington, where agents from the Connecticut Department of Labor's Wage and Workplace Standards Division joined inspectors in checking on crews at work. Investigators determined that LA Roofing had multiple employees working who were not being reported to the company's workers' compensation insurance carrier, per that same account. Pomaquiza was arrested on a warrant and released on a $10,000 non-surety bond, the outlet reported.
Patch reported the charge came on Thursday, Oct. 15, while the Hartford Courant’s Oct. 18 date was its publication date and it did not provide a separate event date. Both reports agree on the underlying allegation: that Pomaquiza, of Southington, was charged with defrauding a workers' compensation insurance carrier in connection with his Middletown-based roofing business.
Court Date Set for This Week
Pomaquiza is scheduled to appear Tuesday, Oct. 20, in Middletown Superior Court, according to the same Patch report. As with any pending case, the charge remains an accusation. A report from Roofing Contractor notes that Pomaquiza is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
No statement from Pomaquiza, LA Roofing, a defense attorney, or the insurance carrier involved has been made public as part of the available reporting.
Part of a Broader Round of Charges
Pomaquiza's case was not the only one announced around the same time. WTNH reported that three Connecticut business owners in total were arrested on alleged workers' compensation law violations. Among them, Jordan Tyler, 36, owner of J.A.T. Builders LLC in East Hartford, was charged with noncompliance with insurance requirements, while Solomon Sade, 47, owner of the Baxter & The Blondinit restaurant in Westport, was charged with two counts of noncompliance with insurance requirements, the station reported.
State officials describe workers' compensation fraud as a widespread concern throughout the industry, according to the Connecticut Department of Administrative Services. The agency's guidance notes that if benefits obtained through fraud exceed $2,000, the offense is classified as a Class B felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison and/or up to $10,000 in fines — though that penalty information is general guidance and not specific to Pomaquiza's case.
WTNH reported Pomaquiza's case on Oct. 16, and the Hartford Courant reported it on Oct. 18, before the New Britain Herald reported on Oct. 19 that he was scheduled to appear Tuesday in Middletown Superior Court.
