BRIEF: Hanford farm labor contractor to pay $4 million for insurance fraud

Dec. 05--A Hanford farm labor contractor has been sentenced to six months in prison and ordered to pay more than $4 million for committing workers compensation insurance fraud, the state Department of Insurance said.

Richard Lopez Escamilla Jr., 47, pleaded guilty in October to insurance fraud. At his sentencing Wednesday in Kings County Superior Court, he was ordered to pay restitution of $4,195,900.

The Department of Insurance said Escamilla lied to the State Compensation Insurance Fund, resulting in lower rates and giving him an unfair advantage against competitors.

He also changed the name of his business, ROC Harvesting, several times to pretend to be a new business and get lower premiums, the department said.

The San Joaquin Valley Premium Task Force, a joint effort by state and local authorities to fight workers compensation insurance fraud, investigated the case.

The reporter can be reached at (559) 441-6104, [email protected] or @fb_LewGriswold on Twitter.

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