Owner of Maintenance Company that Worked for UCLA, Rose Bowl Charged in Fraud Scam

The 61-year-old owner of a building maintenance company that did work for UCLA and the Rose Bowl has been charged with multiple counts of filing between $600,000 to $900,000 in fraudulent workers’ compensation claims, the District Attorney’s Office announced.

Charles Yi, (dob 2-17-1943), is the owner and president of Natural Building Maintenance Corp., which paints dorm rooms at the UCLA campus and provides janitorial services for the Rose Bowl. Although Yi employed between 300 and 400 workers between August 2000 and August 2003, he allegedly claimed only 15 to 18 employees when buying workers’ comp insurance, according do Deputy District Attorney Renee Korn of the Workers’ Comp Fraud Division.

Yi has been charged in case No. BA274890 with one count of workers’ comp fraud, three counts of insurance fraud and one count of taking or receiving a portion of the wages of a workman. Yi, who was arrested Monday night on a felony complaint for arrest warrant, pleaded not guilty on Tuesday before Los Angeles Superior Court Commissioner Dennis Mulcahy. He is being held in lieu of $160,000 bail.

Korn said losses to the insurance company could total up to $900,000.

Yi is scheduled to return to court Dec. 21 for a preliminary hearing in Division 31.