Employer Held Accountable For Workers' Compensation Fraud - Roofi...

EMPLOYER HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR WORKERS' COMPENSATION FRAUD

UNINSURED ROOFING COMPANY OWNER
ATTEMPTED COVER-UP OF WORKPLACE DEATH

New York State Inspector General Lucy Lang and Northville Police Chief Rick Richardson announced today the sentencing of Jeremiah Wiedemann, the owner of Wiedemann Sons Roofing, in connection with an attempted cover up of an on-the-job employee death.

Wiedemann, 43, of Gloversville, NY, who previously pled guilty to Tampering with Physical Evidence, a Class E Felony, and Failure to Secure Workers' Compensation, a Misdemeanor, was sentenced on June 10, 2024, by the Honorable Chad W. Brown in Fulton County Supreme Court, to a term of five years probation and ordered to pay a fine and surcharge. An additional charge of Falsely Reporting an Incident in the Third Degree, a Class A Misdemeanor, was covered by his plea.

On May 12, 2023, the Northville Police Department responded to a 911 call from Wiedemann reporting a person had fallen near the Batchellerville Bridge in Saratoga County. The person, who was in and out of consciousness, was airlifted to Albany Medical Center, where he succumbed to his injuries within days.

Investigation of the incident by the Northville Police Department, Saratoga County Sheriff's Office, and the New York State Police ultimately revealed that the victim had not, in fact, been injured at the location reported by Wiedemann, but rather at a construction site in the Town of Northampton, where Wiedemann's contracting business was engaged in a roof replacement. It was further determined that Wiedemann had moved the victim to a local spillway to conceal that the victim had been working for him in Northampton at the time of his accident. Wiedemann, who had not secured workers' compensation insurance for his employees, also directed other workers to clean up the scene of the injury to further obscure the work-related nature of the accident.

"This defendant went to egregious lengths to conceal his decision to prioritize profits over people, rather than complying with the law to protect workers in the event of workplace injury." said New York State Inspector General Lucy Lang. "Workers' compensation insurance provides a critical safety net for New York's workforce, and this tragic case serves to reinforce our commitment to holding accountable any bosses who would do any less."

"I want to take the opportunity to thank the Offices of the New York State Inspector General, New York State Police, Saratoga County Sheriff's Office, and Fulton County District Attorney for their partnership on the investigation and prosecution of this tragic case," said Northville Police Chief Rick Richardson.

Inspector General Lang thanked the members of her staff who participated in this investigation, including Attorney-in-Charge for Workers' Compensation Fraud Bryan Richmond. Inspector General Lang also expressed her gratitude to the Northville Police Department and the New York State Police for their partnership and to District Attorney Michael J. Poulin and his staff for their diligence in prosecuting this matter.

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