Business Officials Accused of Wage Theft, Comp Fraud

The California Department of Insurance said an Orange County business owner and office manager were charged with multiple felonies for their alleged role in an insurance fraud scheme that exposed workers to risks and denied them wages. Bobby L. Gilbert Jr., 66, owns B&J Tree Service. Bertha R. Sanchez, 30, worked as his office manager. The Insurance Department said Gilbert and Sanchez underreported payroll to their insurance carriers by about $1.3 million between October 2013 and August 2021. The failure to report accurate payroll figures resulted in the illegal reduction of work comp pr...