Police: Rebate scam defrauds National Grid

National Grid was defrauded out of about $100,000 in energy rebate money by two men who were arrested on grand larceny and multiple identity theft charges, police said Tuesday.

Ralph Bianco of 102 Copeland Place, Farmingdale, and John Glaser of 239 Tremont Ave., Lindenhurst, both 53, applied for energy efficiency rebates for eight unsuspecting Suffolk businesses beginning in 2009, Suffolk police said.

The rebates were offered by National Grid through an Energy Efficiency Program for commercial properties to perform upgrades that would result in energy conservation.

Bianco, a heating and air-conditioning technician, with the assistance of Glaser, a former National Grid employee, applied and received the rebates, police said, but the upgrades were not performed and the applications were submitted without the business owners' knowledge.

Bianco and Glaser were both charged with second degree grand larceny, and with 11 counts of first degree identity theft.

The Suffolk police Identity Theft Unit is continuing its investigation, police said, because detectives believe there are possibly 50 to 60 other business locations that were used in the scam.

Suffolk police asked that anyone with information regarding this case to call Crime Stoppers at 800-220-TIPS.