January 29, 2024
HOMESTEAD, Fla. Today, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Jimmy Patronis announced the arrest of Angel Santos Tzunun for worker’s compensation fraud for allegedly concealing payroll to avoid paying a higher worker’s compensation premium. Fraud detectives determined that Tzunun concealed more than $2 million in labor costs from contractors and avoided more than $100,000 in workers’ compensation premiums on two separate insurance policies.
CFO Jimmy Patronis said, “As your CFO, I’ve made it my mission to fight fraud and ensure the crooks who choose to game the system are brought to justice quickly. Most Florida businesses play by the rules but when you intentionally defraud insurance companies it drives up costs for every Florida business and puts employees at risk. I want to thank my dedicated fraud detectives for their hard work in this case and holding the alleged perpetrators accountable for their actions. If you suspect fraud in your community, report it immediately at FraudFreeFlorida.com.”
An investigation was conducted by the Department of Financial Services, Division of Investigative & Forensic Services, Bureau of Workers' Compensation Fraud, which revealed that the owner of Angel M.E. Construction Corp, Mr. Angel S. Tzunun actively concealed payroll to avoid paying a higher workers' compensation premium. In 2021, Tzunun renewed his contract with Southeast Personnel Leasing, with a reported annual payroll of $4,200.00. Based on the reported payroll, a premium fee of $665 was paid for period of January 1, 2021, to March 29, 2021. Shortly after, Tzunun applied for coverage with Florida Citrus Business and Industries Fund and provide an estimated payroll of $166,400. Based on the provided information, a policy was issued with an effective date of April 5, 2021, to April 5, 2022, with a premium of $6,356.