Modesto, CA – The Stanislaus County District Attorney’s Office recently announced the conviction of a Stanislaus Union School District employee for workers’ compensation insurance fraud. John Heaton was employed as a campus monitor for the district and reported an on the job injury in November 2015. Heaton filed a workers’ compensation claim and as a result, received medical treatment and workers’ compensation benefits.
During a subsequent investigation, it was alleged Heaton presented false statements and material misrepresentations during a meeting with the school district’s Return to Work Specialist. Heaton misrepresented facts as it related to his physical abilities and limitations associated with his injury.
On January 23, 2017, Heaton pleaded no contest to Insurance Fraud, in violation of Insurance Code section 1871.4(a)(2), as a felony, in that he unlawfully and knowingly made a false and fraudulent material statement in support of obtaining workers’ compensation insurance benefits.
He was sentenced to 30 days jail, three years formal probation and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $8,341.66 for reimbursement of workers’ compensation benefits and investigation costs.
This case was a joint investigation by Probe Information Services, the California Department of Insurance, Fraud Division and the Amador County District Attorney’s Workers’ Compensation Fraud Unit. The Fraud Unit investigates insurance fraud cases in Amador, Stanislaus and Calaveras Counties through a grant provided by the California Department of Insurance. If you think someone is committing workers’ compensation fraud, report it to the California Department of Insurance Fraud Hotline at (916) 854-5700 or the Amador County District Attorney’s Office at (209) 223-6444.
Source: Stanislaus County DA