Hopkinton Couple Bilked SBA, Workers’ Comp for Luxury Home

BOSTON, MA – A brazen scheme to line their pockets at the expense of insurers, the federal government, and a mortgage lender has landed a Hopkinton couple in hot water. Ronaldo Solano, 52, and Adriana Solano, 41, were sentenced in federal court for a multi-faceted fraud operation that spanned nearly a decade.

Ronaldo Solano received one year and one day in prison, followed by two years of supervised release, with the first six months served on home detention. Adriana Solano received time served (one day) and 27 months of supervised release, the first three months on home detention. Judge Indira Talwani didn’t stop there, ordering the couple to jointly pay $1,625,872.03 in restitution, with Ronaldo Solano additionally responsible for $627,675.88. The pair pleaded guilty earlier this year to multiple charges, including conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit wire and bank fraud.

The scam began as early as 2012, when Ronaldo and Adriana Solano, operating roofing and construction companies H&R Roofing & Construction Inc. and H&R Roofing & Siding Corp. in Framingham, allegedly dodged over $627,000 in workers’ compensation premiums. They did this by deliberately underreporting payroll and funneling payments through an uninsured third-party company – a classic move for those trying to cheat the system. A federal grand jury indicted the couple in March 2024.

But the Solanos didn’t stop there. Between 2021 and 2022, they applied for a $2 million loan through the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Program, part of the CARES Act pandemic relief. The application claimed the funds were for working capital and legitimate business expenses. Instead, the couple allegedly siphoned off $1 million into a personal account and used $825,000 as a down payment on a luxury home in Hopkinton. They then secured a further $770,500 mortgage without disclosing their use of the EIDL funds.

“This case exemplifies the Department of Justice’s commitment to prosecuting those who exploit government programs for personal gain,” stated U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley. The investigation was a joint effort by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, and the Massachusetts Insurance Fraud Bureau. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen A. Kearney is leading the prosecution.

The CARES Act, enacted in March 2020, was intended to provide a lifeline to struggling Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Solanos’ actions represent a cynical abuse of those funds, prioritizing personal luxury over the intended beneficiaries. This sentencing sends a clear message: defrauding the system will not be tolerated. The COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force, established by the Attorney General, continues to pursue pandemic-related fraud with vigor.