Columbus, OH – Two business owners from Bellefontaine, Ohio, that owe approximately $78,000 in back premiums to the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation can avoid fines and jail time if they bring their BWC policies back into compliance later this year, a municipal judge ruled June 12.
“Letting your workers’ compensation coverage lapse is a serious matter that puts employees and businesses at risk for potentially staggering medical costs and related expenses,” said Jim Wernecke, director of BWC’s special investigations department. “We tried to work with these owners, but they ultimately didn’t do what they needed to do to avoid criminal charges.”
Jason Brown, the owner of the trucking company Bolts Carriers LLC in Bellefontaine, pleaded no contest to two second-degree misdemeanor counts of Failure to Comply after BWC found he defaulted on a reinstatement payment plan in September 2015. Prior to sentencing, Brown paid approximately $1,900 toward his balance of more than $55,000. He has until Dec. 12 to bring his policy into compliance or he could face 20 days jail and a $450 fine on each of the two charges.
In a separate case, the owner of a boat canvas shop in Bellefontaine whose policy lapsed 18 years ago has until Sept. 1 to bring the company’s policy into compliance. One week prior to sentencing, Desee McIntosh of Custom Canvas remitted a $1,000 payment toward his balance of more than $23,000. He pleaded no contest to three second-degree misdemeanor counts of Failure to Comply. He faces 30 days in jail and $450 in fines for each count.
In other news, the owner of The Gyro Spot Bar & Grill in Parma, Ohio, pleaded guilty Tuesday to one count of Attempted Workers’ Compensation Fraud, a second-degree misdemeanor, after BWC found his business lacked workers’ comp coverage.
As BWC agents worked with owner John Triskett to bring his business into compliance, they found he intentionally under-reported his payroll and used other inaccurate information to keep his policy payments significantly less than the amount he actually owed.
A judge sentenced Triskett to 30 days in jail (suspended), six months of probation and ordered Triskett to pay a $100 fine and $1,140 in restitution to BWC.
Source: Ohio BWC SID