Long Island Press Long Island Press
Serving the opinion leaders of Long Island
Long Island Press Long Island Press
Long Island Press Long Island Press
  • Home
  • Long Island News
  • Columns
  • Entertainment News
  • Living
  • Special Series
  • CURRENT LONGISLANDPRESS.COM
  • SECTIONS
    • Home
    • Long Island News
    • Columns
    • Entertainment News
    • Living
    • Special Series
    • CURRENT LONGISLANDPRESS.COM

Third Man Arrested for National Grid Rebate Scam

by Rashed Mian on July 30, 2011

A third man was arrested in connection with a rebate scam that defrauded National Grid, costing the company more than $1 million, Suffolk County police said.

Police arrested the owner of Star General Contracting, Michael Castronovo, of Franklin Square, nearly two months after two men were charged with identity theft and grand larceny for stealing the identity of local businesses to apply for rebate checks as part of National Grids Energy Efficiency Program.

Castronovo’s company name was used on the rebate applications as having completed the efficiency upgrades, police said. The efficiency upgrades were never performed, however, and the applications were submitted without the knowledge of the business owners who never asked that any work be done, police said.

National Grid offered the programs for commercial properties to perform upgrades that would conserve energy.

Last month, police arrested Ralph Bianco, of Farmingdale, and John Glaser, of Lindenhurst, for allegedly using identification of eight businesses in Suffolk County on National Grid rebate applications for rebates.

Information from businesses in Nassau and Suffolk counties netted the three men more than $1 million from National Grid, police said. Castronovo allegedly stole $78,680 from his activities in Suffolk.

Police became aware of the fraud four months ago when an Amityville business owner became suspicious after learning that someone applied for a rebate using his company’s information. A rebate was never issued, however, because the tax identification number for the business was not included on the application, police said.

Castronovo was charged with nine counts of identity theft and one count of grand larceny, police said. He was scheduled to be arraigned Friday at First District Court in Central Islip.

The investigation is continuing, police said, and more arrests are expected.

 

Your reaction
LOL
0%
Cool
0%
What!?
0%
Meh...
0%
Sad
0%
RAGE!
0%
Long Island News, News
National Gridrebate scamSuffolk County Police
National Grid, rebate scam, Suffolk County Police
About the Author
Rashed Mian
You might also dig
 

LIPA Hit With Post-Sandy Class Action Lawsuit

by Rashed Mian on November 13, 2012
A Melville attorney has filed a class action lawsuit against LIPA and its contractor National Grid as thousands of customers remain without power two weeks after Superstorm Sandy. The attorney, Kenneth Mollins, is seeking damages from the Long Island [...]
 

How Will LIPA and National Grid Handle LI’s Next Hurricane?

by Spencer Rumsey on July 19, 2012
Will LIPA and National Grid do better the next time a hurricane hits Long Island? Gordian Raacke’s modern two-story white stucco house nestled among the pines in East Hampton pales in comparison to the gaudy mansions of the South Fork but it is a force to [...]
 

LIPA Board Picks PSEG to Run LI’s Electric Grid

by Spencer Rumsey on December 15, 2011
  The Long Island Power Authority Board of Trustees voted Thursday to select Public Service Enterprise Group, Inc. (PSEG), a top energy provider based in New Jersey, to run its electric grid. The decision, announced at LIPA’s board meeting, is the [...]
Long Island Press is a registered trademark of Schneps Communications. © 2017. All rights reserved.