Gloversville, NY– A construction company owner has been sentenced after attempting to cover up a worksite injury by moving a dying employee’s body.
Jeremiah Wiedemann, 43, of Gloversville, who owns Wiedemann Sons Roofing, had not purchased workers’ compensation insurance. Prosecutors suggested this was his motive for hiding the injury. Wiedemann received a sentence of five years’ probation and a fine.
He pleaded guilty to the felony charge of tampering with physical evidence. Wiedemann admitted that on May 12, 2023, he moved a semiconscious employee from a job site in Northampton to the Batchellerville Bridge in Saratoga County. There, he called 911 and claimed the man had fallen. The employee was airlifted to Albany Medical Center Hospital but died a few days later.
The employee was identified as 38-year-old James Warner. Warner’s obituary mentioned he was married and had four children. His wife, Jennifer Warner, told WTEN that her husband had worked intermittently for Wiedemann Sons Roofing for about five years. “James considered Wiedemann and his crew his family and friends,” she said.
Law enforcement discovered that Wiedemann had moved Warner after he fell from a roof and instructed other workers to remove evidence of the fall. Wiedemann also pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor charge of not paying for workers’ compensation insurance.
“This defendant went to egregious lengths to conceal his decision to prioritize profits over people, rather than complying with the law to protect workers in the event of a workplace injury,” said New York State Inspector General Lucy Lang in a statement. “Workers’ compensation insurance provides a critical safety net for New York’s workplace, and this tragic case serves to reinforce our commitment to holding accountable any bosses who would do any less.”
The employee was identified as 38-year-old James Warner. Warner’s obituary mentioned he was married and had four children. His wife, Jennifer Warner, told WTEN that her husband had worked intermittently for Wiedemann Sons Roofing for about five years. “James considered Wiedemann and his crew his family and friends,” she said.
Law enforcement discovered that Wiedemann had moved Warner after he fell from a roof and instructed other workers to remove evidence of the fall. Wiedemann also pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor charge of not paying for workers’ compensation insurance.
“This defendant went to egregious lengths to conceal his decision to prioritize profits over people, rather than complying with the law to protect workers in the event of a workplace injury,” said New York State Inspector General Lucy Lang in a statement. “Workers’ compensation insurance provides a critical safety net for New York’s workplace, and this tragic case serves to reinforce our commitment to holding accountable any bosses who would do any less.” 
