Alexander Almaraz, the owner of Design Concepts Group LLC (DCG) in Freeport, New York, has been charged in a 20-count indictment with wire fraud conspiracy, wire fraud, and attempted wire fraud in connection with a scheme to induce individuals to hire the defendant and pay DCG to lift their Hurricane Sandy-damaged homes. Almaraz is scheduled to be arraigned tomorrow afternoon in federal court in Central Islip before United States Magistrate Judge Lee G. Dunst.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Michael J. Driscoll, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and Anne T. Donnelly, Nassau County District Attorney, announced the arrest and charges.
“In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, the defendant took advantage of distressed homeowners who were desperate to rebuild their homes and their lives,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “The criminal charges announced today demonstrate that despite the passage of time, this Office and our law enforcement partners will prosecute fraudsters who prey on disaster victims and use government relief programs as a piggy bank to enrich themselves.”
Mr. Peace also thanked New York Rising (NYR) within the Governor’s Office of Storm Recovery for their assistance with the investigation.
“As our fellow community members attempted to restore their lives following the cataclysmic destruction of Hurricane Sandy, the defendant exploited the…
