Alvin Shin Chen, 54, and Fiona Xilin Chen, 46, both of La Cañada Flintridge were arrested at their home by detectives from the California Department of Insurance and charged with multiple felony counts, including workers’ compensation insurance premium fraud for allegedly cheating their workers’ compensation insurer.

The Flintridge, owners of Metro Worldwide, Incorporated and Pacific Coast Distribution, operate a trucking company at 6901 Cherry Avenue in Long Beach and are accused of attempting to reduce their workers’ compensation premiums by providing fraudulent information to their insurer regarding the number of their employees and what work those employees performed.

Chens Insurance detectives uncovered evidence indicating the Department of paid cash to employee truck drivers to avoid reporting them to the insurer and reduce their payroll tax obligation. Audits of the Chens records found they underreported their payroll by more than $4.7 million. As a result, the Chens’ allegedly cheated their insurer out of more than $1.6 million in workers’ compensation premium.

The Chens were booked into the Century Station and are held on $950,000 bail each. Arraignment is scheduled for April 29 in Los Angeles County Superior Court. The Los Angeles District Attorney is prosecuting this case.