New York roofer sentenced in workplace death cover-up

The owner of a New York roofing company was sentenced Monday to five years’ probation and ordered to pay fines of an undisclosed amount in connection with the coverup of a workplace death.

Jeremiah Wiedemann, owner of Wiedemann Sons Roofing, was sentenced by Fulton County New York Supreme Court Judge Chad W. Brown after he previously pled guilty to tampering with physical evidence, a Class E felony, and a misdemeanor count of failing to secure workers compensation insurance.

Mr. Wiedemann, of Gloversville, also pled guilty to an additional charge of falsely reporting an incident in the third degree, a Class A misdemeanor.

The criminal charges stemmed from a May 2023 incident in which the Northville Police Department received a call from Wiedemann reporting that a person had fallen near the Batchellerville Bridge in Saratoga County. The victim was airlifted to a local hospital and died within days of admission, according to New York State Inspector General Lucy Lang and Northville Police Chief Rick Richardson, who announced the sentencing.

Investigators later determined that the victim was not injured at the bridge location, but rather was injured at a construction site in the town of Northampton, where Wiedemann’s company was doing a roof replacement.

Mr. Wiedemann had moved the victim to a local spillway to conceal the incident, authorities said, and he also instructed employees to clean up the accident scene.