New York Company Charged with Workers’ Comp Fraud

An upstate trucking company is accused of underreporting its payroll by $2.2 million, costing the state Insurance Fund more than $300,000 in lost workers’ compensation premiums.

The New York Insurance Department said Eagle River Inc., based in the Albany suburb of Colonie, was arraigned last week on charges of falsifying business records and committing a fraudulent practice.

According to the agency, Eagle River falsified its payroll between November 2003 and November 2006 by underreporting wages, one of the factors used in determining workers’ compensation premiums.

Officials say the underreporting was discovered in an audit of the company’s payroll.

Eagle River transports mail for the U.S. Postal Service.