Florida Construction Co. Owner Accused of Evading $74K in Workers’ Comp Premiums

A construction company owner in Florida has been arrested for allegedly evaded paying nearly $74,000 in workers’ compensation insurance premiums, according to a statement from the Florida Department of Financial Services.

Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Jimmy Patronis announced the arrest of Carlos Alberto Gomez-Ibarra, owner of Always Good Construction, on March 5 for workers’ compensation premium fraud. Gomez-Ibarra is accused of not paying workers’ comp premiums over the course of 10 months.

An investigation by the DFS Bureau of Investigative and Forensic Services, Division of Workers’ Compensation Fraud discovered Gomez-Ibarra allegedly concealed payroll information to avoid paying higher workers’ compensation premiums. The company allegedly conducted more than $442,000 in payroll between October 2015 and August 2016. Gomez-Ibarra originally reported an annual estimated remuneration of $92,400 in payroll on their workers’ compensation insurance policy for four employees. This coverage was estimated to cost over $15,000.

Carlos Alberto Gomez-Ibarra was booked into Turner Guilford knight Correctional Center on March 4 on a charge of workers’ compensation premium fraud. If convicted, Gomez-Ibarra faces up to 7 years in prison. Individuals charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

“I cannot emphasize the importance of providing the proper coverage for your employees. Knowingly evading the payment of workers’ compensation to save a few dollars on your policy is a serious crime that puts injured workers at risk and drives up insurance rates statewide for honest, hard-working businesses,” Patronis said. “I applaud the great work of our dedicated insurance fraud detectives and encourage anyone that suspects insurance fraud to report it to FraudFreeFlorida.com.”

Topics Florida Fraud Workers' Compensation Construction