Fla. Roofing Co. Owner Pleads Guilty to Fraud

Florida Treasurer and Insurance Commissioner Tom Gallagher announced that the owner of South Florida-based Cedar Shakes Supply Inc. and Regency Roofing has pleaded guilty to charges of organized fraud and workers’ compensation fraud.

Thomas R. Torok, of Lake Worth, was sentenced by Polk County Circuit Judge Ralph Artiliere to 10 years probation and was ordered to pay more than $1 million in restitution to three insurance carriers for unpaid insurance premiums. The Office of Statewide Prosecution prosecuted the charges.

“Business owners who cheat on workers’ compensation premiums drive up the costs and make it harder for other businesses to afford the coverage they need to protect their employees,” Gallagher said. “This type of fraud creates an uneven playing field for legitimate businesses.”

Investigators with the department’s Division of Insurance Fraud found that Torok, whose business headquarters are located at in Lantana, had misclassified his employees’ duties at his roofing business to three different insurance companies. Torok claimed that roofers were supply dealers, and this misclassification resulted in a miscalculation of premiums by more than $1 million from 1997 until earlier this year.

Torok’s companies have more than 30 employees and perform roofing jobs throughout South and Central Florida.

Topics Florida Fraud