A Duncan, Oklahoma, man was recently ordered to repay $9,000 to the Ohio Bureau of Workers Compensation (BWC) after it was discovered he was working while receiving benefits for a workplace injury.
Charles Jewell, formerly of Cuyahoga County, pleaded guilty to one count of workers comp fraud, a felony of the fifth degree.
“Moving to another state and working there does not excuse one from following Ohio’s workers compensation laws,” said BWC Administrator/CEO Steve Buehrer. “Mr. Jewell committed a crime when he knowingly returned to work and concealed that employment from BWC. We’re pleased we received an anonymous tip in this case and encourage calls from anyone who suspects criminal behavior.”
BWC’s Special Investigations Department began investigating after receiving an anonymous allegation that Jewell was working as a taxi driver for a business he owned in Duncan, Oklahoma.
Investigators traveled to Oklahoma to interview witnesses and compiled evidence proving Jewell returned to work while concurrently receiving permanent total disability benefits from December 2009 to September 2014. He failed to notify BWC of his return to work, and took steps to conceal his employment from BWC.
Jewell was sentenced in the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas to a seven-month prison term, which was suspended for three years of community control.
As a term of his community control and suspended prison sentence, he was ordered to pay $9,000 in restitution to BWC.
Author Kori Shafer-Stack, Editor, Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. is an expert in post-injury response procedures and part of the Amaxx team helping companies reduce their workers compensation costs by 20% to 50%. www.reduceyourworkerscomp.com. Contact: [email protected].
©2014 Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved under International Copyright Law.
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