Farm Labor Contractors Arraigned in Alleged $1.4M Payroll Fraud Scheme

The California Department of Insurance announced that the owners of several farm labor contracting companies were arraigned on more than 20 felony fraud charges for allegedly underreporting their payroll by $17 million to reduce their workers’ compensation premiums by about $1.4 million. The department said it discovered the alleged fraud after learning that an injured worker received treatment in a garage by an unlicensed professional. Elias Perez, 40, and Alejandra Perez, 37, of Soledad, were arraigned on Wednesday. The siblings owned companies including PFL Contracting, Fu...