Austin, TX – A Travis County grand jury has indicted Leslie Casaubon of Lewisville on charges of workers’ compensation fraud for allegedly billing clients for services that were not provided, false billing, and tampering with a government record. The indictment alleges fraud of more than $400,000.
According to the indictments, Casaubon submitted false attorney hours through the Division of Workers’ Compensation’s electronic system and is accused of billing for more services than were actually provided.
“Thanks to the Division of Workers’ Compensation’s new attorney fee rules, the fraud unit can more easily monitor attorney fee applications and find patterns in billing that are suspect,” says Cassie Brown, Texas Commissioner of Workers’ Compensation. “This type of fraud is particularly upsetting because attorney fees are paid out of injured workers’ benefits.”
Attorney billing in the Texas workers’ compensation system is subject to review for compliance with commissioner rules, the Texas Workers’ Compensation Act, and other laws. Attorneys who commit violations may be referred to enforcement or to other authorities, including licensing agencies, district and county attorneys, or the attorney general.
“All attorneys in the system should take a close look at their reported hours and fees, and confirm those reports are accurate,” says Commissioner Brown.
The Division’s fraud unit assisted in the investigation and the DWC prosecution unit obtained the indictments. The DWC prosecution unit is embedded in the Travis County District Attorney’s Office, and was created during the 85th Texas Legislature.
A grand jury indictment is a formal accusation – not a conviction – of criminal conduct.
Source: TDI-DWC