Buffalo, NY – U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. recently announced that Scott Trapp of Clarence, NY pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo to conspiracy to commit health care fraud. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Assistant U.S. Attorney Maura K. O’Donnell, who… [Read more]
Work Force & Human Resource News
CA Restaurant Owner Guilty of Failing to Provide Workers’ Comp Insurance
Martinez, CA – A Contra Costa County jury recently found defendant David Michael Bufano guilty of violating California Labor Code for failing to provide workers’ compensation insurance for his employees. Bufano is the owner and operator of Grant Street Pub & Pizzeria in Concord and has at least 18 employees. Additionally, the jury found Bufano… [Read more]
NY State Corrections Officer Indicted for Stealing Workers’ Comp Benefits with False Documentation
Buffalo, NY – New York State Inspector General Catherine Leahy Scott recently announced the indictment and arrest of a New York State corrections officer on charges that he defrauded the Workers’ Compensation system and, through the submission of improperly altered leave documents, stole over $4,000 in benefits to which he was not entitled. Brendon Clontze,… [Read more]
Home Depot Shopping Trip Blows Ohio Workers’ Comp Fraudster’s Cover
Columbus, OH – A northeast Ohio landscaper must pay the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC) a little more than $5,000 in restitution after the agency’s investigators found him working while collecting injured-worker benefits. Jason Dudas of Mentor pleaded guilty Dec. 13 to one count of workers’ compensation fraud, a first-degree misdemeanor, in the Franklin… [Read more]
MI Employers Receive Healthy Michigan Worksite Awards for Wellness Practices
Lansing, MI – Nineteen employers were recently awarded Healthy Michigan Worksite Awards by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) for investing in wellness programs designed to improve the health of their workforce. This new award is part of the Designing Healthy Environments at Work program and for the first time, recognizes employers… [Read more]
Ohio Businessman Convicted of Workers’ Comp Fraud
Columbus, OH – A northeast Ohio business owner must pay the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC) nearly $34,000 in restitution after the agency found him working and running a business while collecting disability benefits. Gabriel Seda of Grafton, Ohio, pleaded guilty Dec. 6 through a Bill of Information to a fifth-degree felony count of… [Read more]
Pinnacol Warns Most Dangerous Place for Workers Could Be Their Vehicle
Denver, CO – Employers in Colorado should consider adding safe driver training for any employees who drive for work more than occasionally, according to workers’ compensation insurer Pinnacol Assurance. Pinnacol recently analyzed the collective impact of motor vehicle accidents on workers. According to Pinnacol claims data, motor vehicle accidents account for 40 percent of the… [Read more]
Ohio BWC: Drug-Trafficking Nurse Practitioner, Seven Other Workers’ Comp Cheats Convicted in November
Columbus, OH – Eight Ohioans convicted on workers’ compensation fraud or related charges in November include a Springfield nurse practitioner who pleaded guilty to felony drug trafficking and a Cleveland-area man who collected $245,000 in disability benefits while working construction jobs since 2009. Douglas Shrewsbury pleaded guilty Nov. 16 to several drug charges in the… [Read more]
Texas Mutual Distributes $3 Million in Early Qualifier Dividends to 4,000 Texas Businesses
Austin, TX – Texas Mutual Insurance Company recently paid more than $3 million in early qualifier dividends to approximately 4,000 newer policyholder owners across the state. This payout is the final component of the company’s $280 million record dividend distribution to more than 50,000 policyholders in 2018. Early qualifier dividend recipients are those who are… [Read more]
20 Organizations Honored with KEMI Workplace Safety Award
Lexington, KY -(PRWeb)- Kentucky Employers’ Mutual Insurance (KEMI) recently recognized twenty Kentucky organizations for their commitment to workplace safety by presenting each of them with the 2018 KEMI Destiny Award. The Destiny Awards are presented annually by KEMI to policyholders that best exemplify KEMI’s motto, “Control your own destiny.” The awards symbolize what can be… [Read more]