A Milford construction company owner has been indicted for alleged workers’ compensation insurance fraud and larceny, the Massachusetts attorney general’s office announced Wednesday.
Edwin Santiago Bueno was the owner of ESB Construction. The AG’s office alleges he engaged in fraud between June 2020 and May 2023. Specifically, Bueno is accused of misclassifying subcontractors as performing less hazardous construction work, which carries lower insurance premiums. The subcontractors in question were doing roofing work, but Bueno is accused of classifying them as siding workers or painters.
The AG’s office has accused Bueno of evading approximately $20,194 in workers’ compensation premiums owed to Ace American Insurance Co., which is administered by Travelers Insurance Co. in New York City.
When Travelers detected the misclassification, the company notified the Insurance Fraud Bureau of Massachusetts, which confirmed the misclassification.
Bueno could not be immediately reached for comment. State records show he voluntarily dissolved the company in June 2024.
Monica Benevides is a correspondent for Worcester Business Journal.
