Fresno trucking company charged with $2.5 million scheme to defraud workers’ insurance

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A Fresno couple and their adult daughter were arraigned Monday for allegedly underreporting more than $2.5 million in payroll for their business.

Karamjit Nijjar, 57; his wife, Rajinder Kaur Nijjar, 55; and their daughter, Mandip Nijjar, 31; were charged with four counts each for their involvement in the scheme, which involved the couple’s company Renteria Trucking.

Mandip Nijjar is an employee of the company, according to a statement from the California Department of Insurance.

The department initially received a tip indicating that an employee had been denied workers’ compensation benefits.

While investigating this matter, members of the Central Valley Workers’ Compensation Fraud Task Force discovered that Renteria Trucking reported approximately $2,475,000 in payroll during routine audits. But a forensic audit found the company actually had more than $5 million in payroll for the same period, the statement said.

The difference in identified undeclared payroll – just over $2.5 million – resulted in a reduction in workers’ compensation insurance premiums paid by the company. In total, the company had $352,913 in premiums owed to the State Compensation Insurance Fund, according to the statement.

All three pleaded not guilty to the charges. They are due back in court on November 15.

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