“The Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program was created to help those New Yorkers who urgently needed financial assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said District Attorney Bragg. “As alleged, these individuals masqueraded as nineteen unwitting victims, stealing $135,000 from the State of New York. My Office’s Cybercrime and Identity Theft Bureau will continue to unravel and prosecute frauds that harm our state’s ability to support New Yorkers hardest hit by the pandemic.”

“All workers deserve to be fully protected in the event of an on-site injury – especially in an industry as dangerous as construction. As alleged in this indictment, instead of securing coverage for their workers, these defendants used a multi-million dollar off-the-books compensation scheme to avoid paying premiums, leaving their employees uninsured for years. My Office’s Rackets Bureau is ensuring that workers have both the safety precautions and workers’ compensation protections they need to do their jobs without fear.”

“Our Rackets Bureau’s commitment to construction-industry integrity continues with this indictment of an insurance broker accused of pocketing nearly $350,000 – leaving his client unknowingly uninsured for four years while they conducted construction projects at 14 buildings in Manhattan,” said District Attorney Bragg. “Any accident or injury would have left Kirtland’s client liable without the support of insurance – which could have had potentially devastating consequences. Insurance brokers have a fiduciary responsibility to safeguard funds provided by their clients, and the integrity of the industry relies on brokers properly upholding that obligation.”