Laguna Hills Man Jailed for Insurance Fraud

A Laguna Hills, Calif., roofing contractor has been sentenced to 10 years in state prison in what prosecutors are calling one of the largest workers’ compensation insurance fraud cases in California history.

A jury found Michael Vincent Petronella, also known as Michael Constantine, guilty of 33 felony counts of insurance fraud and a sentencing enhancement for aggravated white collar crime.

Beginning in 2000, prosecutors say Petronella and his wife, Devon Lynn Kile, obtained workers’ compensation insurance for their multiple companies and fraudulently submitted 42 claims for uninsured workers and underreported $29 million in payroll to avoid paying insurance premiums. The scheme resulted in the state incurring more than $253,000 in uncovered injured worker claims and insurance premium losses in the millions.