• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • WCW HOME
  • Submit a Wire!
  • Advertising
  • Media Partners
  • About
  • Contact Us

WorkCompWire

Your Trusted Source for Workers Compensation News

Enlyte
  • Workers Compensation News
    • Workers Compensation Industry News
    • Association, Rating & Research News
    • Claims, Legal, & Compliance News
    • Legislative & Regulatory News
    • Risk Management News
    • Work Force & Human Resource News
  • Featured Articles
  • Leaders Speak
  • Editor’s Forum
  • People On The Move

NY Bartender Sentenced to $26k in Restitution, Five Years Probation for WC Fraud

September 14, 2016 - WorkCompWire

Elmira, NY – New York State Inspector General Catherine Leahy Scott recently announced that an Elmira bartender who defrauded the state workers’ compensation system was sentenced to nearly $26,000 in restitution payments and five years on probation.

James Hooks, Jr., 57, of Davis St., Elmira, was sentenced in Chemung County Court subsequent to his July guilty plea to Grand Larceny in the Third Degree, a felony. As part of his sentencing, he was ordered to pay $24,584 in restitution, as well as a five percent surcharge, for Workers’ Compensation payments he was not eligible for while he was also working as a weekend bartender at Ramsey’s Place in Elmira.

“This defendant abused and stole from a system meant to protect honest, hard-working New Yorkers,” said Inspector General Leahy Scott. “I will continue to relentlessly pursue anyone who steals from the workers’ compensation system for their own corrupt financial benefit.’

An investigation by Inspector General Leahy Scott found that Hooks, who sustained injuries while working at a grocery store in 1994, repeatedly told his insurance benefits company that he was not employed in any capacity when in fact he was working since at least 2013 as a bartender at Ramsey’s Place on East Fifth Street in Elmira.

Under State law, employers are required to maintain Workers’ Compensation coverage for their employees, and employees are expected to provide truthful information regarding their work activity to insurance carriers and the Workers’ Compensation Board during the time they are receiving benefits.

Inspector General Leahy Scott thanked Chemung County District Attorney Weeden A. Wetmore and his office for prosecuting this matter, the Elmira Police Department for assisting with the arrest and the New York State Department of Labor, the PMA Companies and the Special Funds Conservation Committee for their assistance with the investigation.

Source: NY Inspector General

Filed Under: Industry News, Top Stories, Work Force & Human Resource News, Workers' Compensation

Primary Sidebar

Get Our Free Newsletter:

Select list(s) to subscribe to


By submitting this form, you are consenting to receive marketing emails from: WorkCompWire.com, PO Box 1114, Culver City, CA, 90232, http://www.workcompwire.com. You can revoke your consent to receive emails at any time by using the SafeUnsubscribe® link, found at the bottom of every email. Emails are serviced by Constant Contact

myMatrixx

Paradigm

Healthesystems

MTI

Follow Us on Twitter

Tweets by WorkCompWire

Workers Compensation News Topics

  • Top Stories
  • Featured Articles
  • Leaders Speak
  • Editor’s Forum
  • The RxProfessor
  • Industry News
  • Association, Rating & Research News
  • People On The Move
  • Claims, Legal, & Compliance News
  • Legislative & Regulatory News
  • Risk Management News
  • Work Force & Human Resource News
  • Workers’ Compensation

Wire Archives

Copyright WorkCompWire © 2023