Ohio BWC: 7 Workers’ Compensation Fraud Convictions in May

June 16, 2011

Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC) Administrator/CEO Stephen Buehrer announced that seven individuals were convicted or pleaded guilty to charges related to defrauding Ohio’s workers’ compensation system during the month of May.

The court actions are the result of investigations conducted by BWC’s Special Investigations Department (SID), which works to deter, detect, investigate, and prosecute workers’ compensation fraud.

Cases that resulted in a guilty plea or conviction during the month of May include:

  • Robert Bailey (Miamisburg, Montgomery County) pleaded guilty to one count of workers’ compensation fraud, a misdemeanor of the first degree, for working while receiving benefits. BWC investigators found Bailey worked as a cook for Hickory House Bar-B-Que for nearly four months while receiving Temporary Total Disability benefits. A judge sentenced Bailey to serve 60 days in jail, suspended on the condition that he pay restitution of investigative costs in the amount of $1,223.57 in addition to a fine of $250 and court costs by Nov. 11, 2011. He must pay the ordered restitution, fine, and court costs by 9 a.m. that day, or begin immediately serving the 60 day sentence.
  • Tiffany Belohlavek (Olmstead Falls, Cuyahoga County) pleaded guilty to one count of workers’ compensation fraud, a fourth degree felony, for working while receiving benefits. An investigation opened as a result of an allegation revealed Belohlavek provided BWC with fictitious timecards and employment information after she no longer worked for Physician’s Edge, a medical billing company. The fraudulent documentation allowed her to continue receiving Living Maintenance Wage Loss benefits she was awarded for a previous workplace injury for more than two years beyond her eligibility. Belohlavek was sentenced June 14 to one year of probation, court community service, and ordered to repay $53,223.57 in restitution in addition to $7,109.60 in investigative costs. She also must attend Alcoholics Anonymous/Narcotics Anonymous meetings, obtain and maintain verifiable employment, submit to random drug testing, and undergo mental health treatment and follow treatment recommendations.
  • Brian Jones (Elyria, Lorain County) pleaded guilty to two counts of deception to obtain a dangerous drug, a fourth degree felony for attempting to submit false prescriptions in order to obtain narcotics. SID found Jones obtained 11 narcotic prescriptions by falsifying or altering prescriptions. Jones entered his plea May 6 and sentencing is pending.
  • James Sanders (Dayton, Montgomery County) pleaded guilty to one count of workers’ compensation fraud for filing a false claim. Sanders submitted a First Report of Injury in March, 2010 indicating his lower back was injured as he was loading a semi tanker while employed by Clean Water Limited in Dayton. The claim was subsequently denied by the BWC, and no benefits were paid in the claim. SID verified that Sanders had been involved in a motor vehicle accident the weekend prior to his alleged work related injury, and copies of his medical records showed he gave treating physicians inconsistent descriptions of how he was injured. A judge placed Sanders on probation for one year and ordered him to pay investigative costs totaling $2072.31.
  • Stephen Shirley (Hamilton, Butler County) pleaded guilty to one count of workers’ compensation fraud, a felony in the fifth degree, for working while receiving disability benefits. Investigators found Shirley worked for Cincinnati Children’s Hospital as a mental health specialist while receiving $30,655.29 in Temporary Total Disability benefits resulting from a previous workers’ compensation claim. When he entered his guilty plea May 18, Shirley arrived to court with a personal check to cover the $30,655.29 restitution and $1,700.89 for investigative costs. He was placed on probation during his May 31 sentencing.
  • Norbert Sims (Columbus, Franklin County) pleaded guilty May 24 to one count of workers’ compensation fraud, a first degree misdemeanor, for submitting false paperwork in order to receive benefits while incarcerated. SID found that, with the assistance of family members, Sims submitted 58 falsified documents while serving a sentence in a Florida prison. The court proceeded directly to sentencing and Sims was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $4,941.62 and investigative costs in the amount of $1,500. He also received 15 days in jail, suspended for five years of community control.

Source: Ohio BWC

Topics Fraud Workers' Compensation Talent Ohio

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