Almirante Perez, 43, of Highland, was arraigned on multiple felony counts of insurance fraud and tax evasion after allegedly underreporting employees and wages in an attempt to reduce his businesses’ insurance premiums and payroll taxes by over $2.5 million.

Perez was the owner of Capital Janitorial Services, Cal Best Service Group Inc., Southern Pacific Janitorial Group and United Pacific Contractors Inc., from March 2013 to November 2018.

An investigation by the Department of Insurance revealed Perez failed to report employees and wages to his workers’ compensation insurance carrier and to the Employment Development Department (EDD). The investigation discovered $1,982,597 in underreported premium fraud and $609,430 in payroll taxes owed to the EDD.

It is further alleged, as to some of the counts, that the offenses alleged are related felonies, a material element of which is fraud and embezzlement, which involved a pattern of related felony conduct, and the pattern of related felony conduct involved the taking of, and resulted in the loss by Republic Underwriters Insurance Company, NorGuard Insurance Company, dba Atlas General Insurance Company, and Ohio Security Insurance Company of more than five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000).

These allegations subject Almirante Perez to the additional punishment provided for in Penal Code sections 186.11(a)(2), which is the aggravated white collar crime enhancement. White collar crime generally refers to non-violent crime, often involving professionals, for financial gain. White collar crime may involve small amounts of money or millions of dollars. The penalties for white collar crimes in California depend, in part, on the extent of the alleged crime.

The Insurance Commissioner said that “Legitimate businesses and California consumers pay the price when business owners cheat the system by illegally underreporting employees and wages.”

Perez was arraigned on October 22, 2020, at San Bernardino County Superior Court and pleaded not guilty to all charges. The San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office is prosecuting this case.