Hailstorm Insurance Scam Could Land Fraudster in Prison

In a bizarre insurance scam, a man admitted to damaging several homes in South Jersey so his Voorhees construction company could repair the homes and collect insurance payments.

Marcin Gradziel, 34, pleaded guilty Friday to fraud and could face seven years in prison for damaging homes to drum up business for Precision Builders.

Precision Builders employees would canvass Camden and Gloucester counties and alert homeowners to supposed hail damage, according to the New Jersey attorney general. Employees would advise the homeowners—who later told police they had no knowledge of any hail damage—that they could received new roofing and siding at no cost.

After the homeowners filed insurance claims, Gradziel would purposefully damage the homes to create the appearance of hailstorm harm for the insurance adjusters. His acts caused more than $53,000 in damage reported to insurance companies.

Gradziel, who lived in Norristown, PA, at the time and now lives in Lake Worth, FL, admitted to the scheme. His co-defendant, Dominik Sadowski, 37, of Sellersville, PA, pleaded guilty in March to fraud. Precision Network Solutions, doing business as Precision Builders, also pleaded guilty to second-degree insurance fraud.  

Precision Builders paid $68,720 in restitution and went out of business because of the hailstorm investigation.

“Schemes such as this one defraud not only the victim but also drive up the cost of insurance premiums for the rest of us,” Ronald Chillemi, acting insurance fraud prosecutor, said. “As illustrated by this guilty plea, such conduct will not be tolerated in New Jersey.”

Tips about suspected insurance fraud in New Jersey may be reported anonymously at 1-877-55-FRAUD or NJinsurancefraud.org. Rewards are available for tips that lead to a conviction.