Pa. Man Pleads Guilty to Damaging N.J. Homes to Collect Insurance Monies

TRENTON, N.J., March 26 -- The New Jersey Attorney General issued the following news release:

Attorney General Jeffrey S. Chiesa announced that a Pennsylvania man and a construction company pleaded guilty today for their roles in an insurance fraud scheme that targeted homes purportedly damaged by hail.

Dominik Sadowski, 35, of Sellersville, Pa., pleaded guilty to third-degree insurance fraud before Superior Court Judge Ronald Bookbinder in Burlington County. In addition, Precision Network Solutions, d.b.a. Precision Builders, of Voorhees, pleaded guilty to second-degree insurance fraud. The charges were contained in a state grand jury indictment returned on June 14, 2011.

Judge Bookbinder scheduled sentencing for June 1. Under the plea agreement, the state will recommend that Sadowski be sentenced to four years of probation conditioned on completing 100 hours of community service. New Jersey law provides that there is a presumption against any sentence of incarceration for a person convicted of a third-degree crime who has not previously been convicted of an indictable offense. Sadowski and Precision Builders are responsible for paying the $68,720 in restitution. Precision Builders will also pay a $250,000 criminal fine.

Sadowski admitted that between Jan. 19 and April 25, 2011, acting on behalf of Precision Builders, he caused fraudulent property damage insurance claims to be submitted to Traveler's Insurance Company, for property damage to two homes within Burlington and Camden Counties purportedly caused by hail storms.

An investigation determined that representatives from Precision Builders were canvassing neighborhoods and were claiming that homes had been damaged in a hail storm and advising homeowners that they could get new siding and roofing at no cost.

Several homeowners told investigators that they were not aware that they had any hail damage to their homes before being solicited by Precision Builders. An investigation determined that, after homeowners filed claims with their insurance carrier, Sadowski would visit and damage the properties prior to the adjusters' inspections. It is alleged that Sadowski's co-defendant, Marcin Gradziel, 33, of Norristown, Pa., would also visit and damage the properties prior to the adjusters' inspections. The charges against Gradziel are pending.

As a result of the fraud, acting on behalf of Precision Builders, Sadowski caused approximately $15,256 in claim monies to be obtained for Precision Builders from Traveler's Insurance Company. It is alleged that Gradziel caused approximately $53,464 in claim monies to be obtained Precision Builders.

Deputy Attorney General Dianne C. DiGiamber Deal, Sergeant Anthony Butler and Detective Janessa Jones and were assigned to the investigation. Deputy Attorney General Deal represented the state at the guilty plea. Acting Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Ronald Chillemi thanked Traveler's Insurance Company, the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General Insurance Fraud Unit, the Lehigh County District Attorney's Office and the National Insurance Crime Bureau for their assistance in the investigation.

Acting Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Chillemi noted that some important cases have started with anonymous tips. People who are concerned about insurance cheating and have information about a fraud can report it anonymously by calling the toll-free hotline at 1-877-55-FRAUD, or visiting the Web site at www.NJInsurancefraud.org. State regulations permit a reward to be paid to an eligible person who provides information that leads to an arrest, prosecution and conviction for insurance fraud.

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