Columbus, OH – A retired police officer for the city of Canton recently pleaded guilty to workers’ compensation fraud after the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC) discovered him working two jobs while claiming to be permanently disabled.
James H. Blaine of North Canton must pay BWC $66,481 in restitution and $23,000 in investigative costs after pleading guilty to the fourth-degree felony charge through a bill of information hearing in the Stark County Court of Common Pleas. A judge also ordered Blaine to serve three years of probation, obtain a full-time job, and provide 100 hours of community service.
“If you’re working two jobs, you’re clearly not permanently disabled,” said BWC Administrator/CEO Stephanie McCloud. “Kudos to our investigators for detecting this fraud and putting a stop to it.”
BWC’s Special Investigations Department discovered Blaine working as a security guard for a private company in late 2017 and operating his own landscaping business while collecting permanent total disability benefits for an injury he suffered while working for a salt company.
His fraudulent activity is unrelated to his former job as a police officer in Canton, where he retired in 1997, according to city records.
Source: Ohio BWC SID