Investigations

On January 6, 2019, a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court, Newark, New Jersey, charged Lior Atiyas and Lola Larios with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Atiyas, owner of Premier Relocations, LLC, and Larios, a Premier employee, were arrested on February 11, 2019.

 

The criminal complaint alleges that between January 2016 and January 2019, Atiyas and Larios fraudulently used various DOT numbers belonging to other companies and impersonated multiple household goods (HHG) carriers to obtain customers. Atiyas and Larios also allegedly created other HHG moving companies—including Metro Van Lines, Inc., and Lyon Moving and Storage—using fictitious locations and listing nominees as the named owners. As part of the scheme, Premier allegedly deliberately provided “low-ball” estimates to lure customers and then withheld or threatened to withhold the customers’ HHG unless they paid significantly more than the quoted price.

 

DOT-OIG is conducting this investigation with FMCSA.

 

Note: Indictments, informations, and criminal complaints, are only accusations by the Government. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.