Evergreen Reporter

Alexander Almaraz, the owner of Design Concepts Group LLC (DCG) in Freeport, New York, pleaded guilty today in federal court in Central Islip to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The scheme involved inducing individuals to hire him and pay DCG to repair their Hurricane Sandy-damaged homes. The proceeding was held before United States District Judge Joan M. Azrack. When sentenced, Almaraz faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and mandatory restitution to his victims.

Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Christie M. Curtis, Acting Assistant Director in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's New York Field Office (FBI); and Anne T. Donnelly, Nassau County District Attorney, announced the guilty plea.

“After Hurricane Sandy turned their lives upside down, the individuals who hired Almaraz to repair their homes were further harmed by the defendant’s unconscionable fraudulent scheme, which extended the time they were deprived of a livable home,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “With his guilty plea today, Almaraz is no longer outrunning the damage that his personal greed inflicted on a shattered Long Island community and it is my hope that the victims will find some solace in the defendant being held accountable and making full restitution.”

“This defendant took advantage of vulnerable Long Island homeowners at a time of unimaginable loss, purchasing luxury cars and paying off credit cards with funds meant to repair their storm-damaged homes after Hurricane Sandy battered our shores,” stated Nassau District Attorney Donnelly. “Today’s plea holds Almaraz accountable for his greedy scheme, and the restitution he will be ordered to pay is a necessary step towards making his victims whole. I thank our federal partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York and the FBI for their continued dedication to investigating and prosecuting fraudsters who exploited Long Island residents in the aftermath of this devastating storm.”

On October 29, 2012, Hurricane Sandy struck New York and New Jersey, causing catastrophic damage to low-lying and coastal areas including many neighborhoods in the Eastern District of New York. Residents whose homes were damaged were eligible to receive funding from the Governor’s Office of Storm Recovery through the New York Rising (NYR) program.

According to court documents and Almaraz’s own admissions today, he entered contracts with homeowners who qualified for NYR funds. As part of these contracts, he agreed to lift homes onto temporary support structures allowing for new foundations to be installed before lowering them back down and reconnecting appliances. Between October 2015 and June 2019, Almaraz agreed to lift at least 20 customers' homes who had received NYR funding totaling approximately $2.5 million collectively paid him by these clients.

Almaraz convinced many victims to move out temporarily while neglecting their projects causing further loss. Instead of performing agreed-upon work he used funds for personal expenses including credit card bills land purchases in Kansas City Missouri luxury automobiles such as Lamborghini Porsche Jaguar resulting more than $1.5 million losses NYR individual victims.

The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Long Island Criminal Section with Assistant United States Attorney Megan E Farrell leading prosecution.

The Defendant:

ALEXANDER ALMARAZ

Age: 56

San Antonio Texas formerly Freeport Long Island

E.D.N.Y Docket No 23-CR-17 JMA