Roofing contractor pleads guilty to comp fraud

A New York roofing contractor with a prior record of workers compensation fraud pleaded guilty to felony workers comp and welfare fraud charges in Montgomery County Court, New York State Inspector General Catherine Leahy Scott announced in a statement Tuesday.

Joseph Kellogg Sr. of Amsterdam, New York, filed four building permit applications in 2015 that included fraudulent certifications saying he had no employees and therefore was exempt from comp requirements, the statement said. An inspection revealed that Mr. Kellogg used up to 11 employees on jobs connected to the permits, according to the statement.

Mr. Kellogg pleaded guilty to similar charges in 2013, the statement said.

In addition, inspectors determined that Mr. Kellogg failed to disclose income from his business on an application for food stamp benefits, according to the statement.

“The defendant carved out an entirely new level of unabashed fraud with his crimes, not only leaving his own employees without critical coverage to protect their wellbeing, but also committing virtually the same fraud he was convicted of just a few years earlier,” said Ms. Leahy Scott in the statement.