Man Reverses Name in Bid to Defraud Workers’ Compensation Insurer
A New York construction company owner faces jail time for a strange workers’ comp fraud scheme: He transposed his name on the application and lied to an insurer about previously cancelled coverage.
Ondrej Marga, 43, of Mahopac, claimed in an application to the New York State Insurance Fund (NYSIF), that he was Marga Ondrej.
Prosecutors say the name switch was the foundation for a simple scheme to conceal from NYSIF that Marga’s previous policy was cancelled for non-payment.
The ruse came to light after Marga applied for a new workers’ comp policy with NYSIF for Mika Construction.
He didn’t mention that he was a partner and vice president of O. Marga Construction in 2009 when that company’s coverage was cancelled.
Marga’s previous firm owed $41,000 in premiums.
Prosecutors say that Marga faces up to four years in prison for the fraud.