Workers Comp Fraud Blotter 2/18/2010 Recent Arrests, Charges, Convictions and Investigations

By Robin E. Kobayashi, J.D., LexisNexis Workers’ Compensation Law Community

Each week I’ll be surveying what the media, state agencies, insurance companies, and others report in terms of workers’ comp fraud. Just like a police blotter, my workers’ comp fraud blotter lists recent arrests, charges, convictions and investigations.

Workers’ Comp Fraud Blotter – February 19, 2010

Remsen Man Charged With Workers’ Comp Fraud (NY) – Dennis Clark, Sr. was charged with third degree insurance fraud for allegedly obtaining more than $43,000 in worker’s compensation benefits while he owned and operated his own business, and with first-degree falsifying business records and fraudulent practices of the workers compensation law. Read more

Elyria Businessman Pleads Guilty to Altering Workers’ Comp Medical Records (OH) – Eric Zaffer, owner of Medical Consultants, Inc., pleaded guilty to fraud, forgery and tampering with medical reports of state workers’ compensation claimants that led to higher compensation awards for workers who suffered permanent partial disability in work-related accidents. Zaffer’s firm compiled medical reports for law firms that represented injured workers. Read more

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Winsted Woman Charged With Workers’ Comp Fraud (CT) – Charlotte Paden, who claimed she needed a cane to move around and had difficulty standing, kneeling and lifting in order to do her job as a door greeter for Wal Mart, was caught on videotape hauling a boat anchor and casting a fishing pole. Read more

Commerce Man Pleads No Contest in Workers’ Comp Fraud Case (CA) – Richard Lewis Johnson pled no contest to one count of grand theft of workers’ comp payments and was placed on three years probation and ordered to pay $20,714 in restitution to Avizent Risk Management. Johnson alleged an injury to his right shoulder while working at California United Terminals as a class B longshoreman. The day after the reported injury, Johnson saw a chiropractor who then sent him to another doctor where Johnson allegedly lied about the severity of his injury. Avizent set up surveillance on Johnson and witnessed him using his right shoulder with no apparent difficulty despite telling several doctors that his arm was to badly injured and was too painful to use. Read more

Boulevard Woman Pleads Guilty to Felony Grand Theft (CA) – Mary Donna Doyle pleaded guilty to felony grand theft for stealing insurance premiums. According to the Calif. Dept. of Insurance, Doyle collected more than $7,000 in premiums and broker fees in 2006 from a small business for a workers’ comp policy, but made only periodic payments to the insurance company. Read more

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Benefits Administrator Charged With Embezzling $40 Million in Union Health Care Funds (NY) – Melissa G. King was indicted on charges for taking $40 million from a union’s health care and pension funds that are used to pay retirement benefits, pension annuities, certain medical expenses, unemployment and death benefits, workers’ compensation and severance payments. Read more

This week’s Lexis Nexis Fraud Blotter published by Workers’ Comp Kit Blog as a courtesty request from LN.

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