A roofing contractor has been arrested and police are searching for his employer after the two were allegedly caught on video vandalizing shingles on a home when the homeowner thought they were checking for storm damage.
Investigators with the Georgia Insurance Commissioner’s office alleged that the men damaged the houses in an attempt to benefit from the insurance claim payouts.
Mark Phillip Zuckerman, a 58-year-old Columbus resident was arrested and booked into the Muscogee County Jail and has been charged with two counts of insurance fraud and two counts of second degree criminal damage to property. His employer, David Gonzalez, 33, is wanted on the same charges. Gonzalez operates America’s Roofing in Columbus.
According to a news release sent out by the state insurance commissioner’s office, investigators found that in February 2018, Gonzales solicited his roofing inspection services to homeowners in Columbus and Midland, Ga., to help determine if recent weather events had caused damage to their roofs.
Investigators say once on the rooftops, Gonzalez, along with Zuckerman would vandalize shingles and other material to mimic wind damage. Video surveillance of the homes provided to investigators shows the two men creating the destruction.
“This type of fraud can drive up insurance premiums resulting in higher costs for all consumers,” said Georgia Insurance Commissioner Ralph Hudgens.
Hudgens’ office is asking that anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of David Gonzalez to contact the Muscogee County Sheriff’s Office at 706‐653‐4225.
