Novato Fraudsters Ordered To Pay $925K In Restitution: Report

NOVATO, CA — A Marin couple that pleaded guilty to insurance fraud charges has been ordered to pay the state $925 in restitution, The Marin Independent Journal reports.

Antonio Soruco and Carmen Hall Soruco were both sentenced to 120 days in jail, but Super Court Judge Beth Jordan stayed their jail sentences amid the pandemic, the report said.

The Sorucos together owned Soruco Structures, a Novato construction company. They were charged in 2020 insurance fraud and tax evasion, prosecutors said.

Antonio Soruco, who pleaded guilty to three misdemeanor counts, was sentenced to a year on probation. Carmen Hall Soruco received a two-year probation sentence after pleading guilty to three felony counts, the report said.

Prosecutors alleged that the Sorucos engaged in workers' compensation premium fraud from October 2013 to December 2016 and that they failed to report wages and withhold state income taxes from their employees from October 2013 to February 2019.

"Failure to adequately insure employees against workplace injuries not only puts workers at risk but creates an unfair advantage in the marketplace for businesses who cut corners to increase profits," prosecutors said in a statement at the time the charges against the Sorcuos were announced in Sept. 2020.

"The identification, investigation and prosecution of workers' compensation premium fraud remains a priority for the Marin County District Attorney's Office. Suspected workers' compensation fraud can be reported directly to the Marin County District Attorney's Office at insurancefraud@marincounty.org."

A California Department of Insurance probe with assistance from the Marin DA Insurance Fraud Unit led to the charges against the Sarucos, prosecutors said.

Read more in The Marin Independent Journal