Santa Ana, CA – A county employee was recently convicted and sentenced for committing insurance fraud by making false statements and concealing information related to his Workers’ Compensation claim. William Parker, 43, Corona, pleaded guilty to one felony count of making a fraudulent statement and five felony counts of insurance fraud. Parker was sentenced to six months in jail and paid over $41,000 in restitution.
On June 4, 2005, Parker was hired by the Orange County Probation Department (OCPD) as a Deputy Juvenile Corrections Officer. On Oct. 5, 2007, Parker was involved in a non-work related motor vehicle accident which caused injuries to his back and resulted in loss of time from work. Parker filed an insurance claim as a result of that automobile accident and received a settlement. Parker failed to disclose his back injury to the OCPD.
On Sept. 28, 2010, Parker suffered a back injury while working for the OCPD. Parker filed a Workers’ Compensation claim and was taken off work by his treating doctors after the county accepted the claim. The county was not aware of the previous back injury that Parker suffered in 2007.
On Jan. 31, 2012, Parker saw a medical examiner and told the doctor he still has daily pain. The doctor determined Parker had reached maximum medical improvement but would have to have permanent work restrictions. The defendant settled his Workers’ Compensation case and continued to see his primary doctor in the Worker’s Compensation claim from 2012 to 2014.
On Feb. 14, 2012, Parker was involved in a car accident where he was rear ended by another driver. The California Highway Patrol was called to the scene and reported minor property damage only.
On Feb. 23, 2012, Parker visited his primary doctor in the Workers’ Compensation case where he completed an updated medical questionnaire and intentionally omitted to tell the doctor about the motor vehicle accident he was involved in nine days earlier. Parker did not return to work until late February 2013, when he returned to a different position as an office specialist due to his claimed injuries.
On March 27, 2013, Parker filed a civil lawsuit for his personal injuries sustained in the car accident in 2012. The defendant was interrogated under oath and his deposition was taken. In the civil lawsuit, he made misrepresentations stating that he had completely recovered from the injuries in the Workers’ Compensation case and that he had returned to work as a correctional officer in order to collect a financial settlement from injuries the defendant claimed he sustained in the car accident. He stated that he was released in March 2012 but did not return to work until March 2013 because the county did not have a position for him.
Deputy District Attorney Pam Leitao of the Insurance Fraud Unit prosecuted this case.
Source: OC DA’s Office