Whereas Road Scholar Transport takes several measures to ensure that your temperature sensitive cargo does not lose its integrity during the transportation process, one trucking company duo did everything in their power to assure that it did.
Alexei Legassov and Ekaterina Khlaponina, both of Palm Coast, FL, owned/managed numerous trucking companies operating in NJ. Among these were Akmos Trade Limited, Moon and Eggplant Limited, Passing Score LLC, and G.K. Refrigerated Line LLC.
Between July 2012 and May 2017, Legassov and Khlaponina filed nine insurance claims totaling $796,500 for products they stated had spoiled during the long haul process due to broken refrigerator units. These products included frozen cakes, fruits, and vegetables, among others. In reality, the cargo was either still intact or the load never existed and the owners falsified invoices and documents in order to file the claims.1
According to Attorney General Porrino, “These defendants went to great lengths to give their alleged criminal conspiracy the patina of legitimacy. We allege that they used fabricated invoices and other fraudulent documents to buttress their false claims for losses that never incurred. They now face serious charges for defrauding carriers that insure cargo vital to commerce.”2
Six of the nine claims were paid to Legassov and Khlaponina for a total of $509,000 by Harleysville Insurance Company, which was deposited into their bank accounts.1Harleysville and Progressive Insurance had denied the other three claims which amounted to $288,000. 1
As Acting Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Christopher Iu explained, fraud drives up the premiums for those honest trucking companies, as well shippers, and ultimately trickles down to consumers, who end up purchasing the goods at higher prices.
The duo is indicted with insurance fraud along with conspiracy, money laundering, and two counts of theft, according to Porrino.1The two can face 10-20 years in prison and up to $500,000 in fines if found guilty in the first degree and 5-10 years with a maximum $150,000 fine for second-degree.2
Help prevent temperature fluctuations that can damage your products during transport by choosing a safe and secure carrier like Road Scholar Transport. Here are a few ways we are helping minimize your risk:
*Our trucks offer temperature protection for all types of needs, including frozen, refrigeration, and heating to keep foods of all kinds fresh from Point A to Point B.
*An unlimited number of temperature alerts that are defined by the user, so you will always know that your food products are being transported at the proper temperatures, and so will our drivers.
*A log containing the history of the temperature inside the trailer during its entire journey, so you will have no concerns that your food may have been spoiled at some point along the way.
*All trailers are food grade, meaning they have aluminum floors and are kept to the highest sanitary standards at all times.
*Electronic door monitoring to make sure the door to the trailer has not been opened at any unauthorized point during the journey.
*Redundant traceability available on both the tractor and the trailer.
For more information visit www.roadscholar.com and chat with a live representative today.
2http://nj.gov/oag/newsreleases17/pr20170721c.html
