Tolland Man Charged In 'Fraudulent' Crumbling Foundation Claims Case

TOLLAND, CT — A Tolland man has been charged in connection with an investigation into a "fraudulent" $175,000 crumbling foundations insurance claim through the Connecticut Insurance Department, officials from the state justice department said.

William L. Sima, 42, was arrested on March 29, 2023 by Inspectors from the Statewide Prosecution Bureau in the Office of the Chief State's Attorney at the Rocky Hill Police Department on a warrant charging him with insurance fraud and criminal attempt to commit first-degree larceny.

According to an arrest warrant affidavit, the state Division of Criminal Justice received a complaint in July 2022 from the Connecticut Insurance Department's Fraud and Investigations Unit regarding an attempted theft from the taxpayer-funded Connecticut Foundations Solutions Indemnity Company, Inc., the non-profit insurance company that assists Connecticut homeowners with crumbling foundations.

According to the warrant, Insurance Department investigators reported that Sima, on Jan. 14, 2020, submitted a false insurance claim in an attempt to receive $175,000 for a crumbling foundations repair on his Tolland home.

According to the warrant, Sima was "untruthful" in his claim application, indicating that he had not done any foundation repair work at his home when he, in fact, had completed the project himself instead of hiring a contractor from a state-approved list.

Sima was released on a $20,000 non-surety bond and is scheduled to appear in Rockville Superior Court on April 5.

The Statewide Prosecution Bureau is trying the case.