Fraud News: Workers’ Comp Scam, Staged Burglary and Carjacking

Texas Healthcare Provider Sentenced for Workers’ Comp Fraud

A Deer Park, Texas, healthcare worker has been sentenced for falsifying workers’ compensation claims.

A Travis County District Court sentenced Enrique Colon to three years deferred adjudication and ordered him to pay $10,000 in restitution.

Colon performed functional capacity evaluations — medical exams that determine if an injured employee is physically able to perform their job duties after a work-related injury or illness. He submitted false medical claims to an insurer for more time than the services actually took to perform.

Colon was indicted along with EME International, Inc. and two others on charges of engaging in organized criminal activity for overbilling for the exams.

The case was prosecuted by the Texas Department of Insurance, Division of Workers’ Compensation’s prosecution unit embedded in the Travis County District Attorney’s Office.

Former Hawaii Police Officer Pleads Guilty to Insurance Fraud

Former Honolulu Police Department Officer Travis Copeland pled guilty to two counts of insurance fraud recently.

During the period of October 23, 2017 to and including March 16, 2018, Copeland attempted to obtain insurance benefits from United Services Automobile Association (USAA) by presenting false information on a claim for payment.

In the second count, during the period of November 20, 2017 to and including January 18, 2018, Copeland obtained insurance benefits from Assurant, doing business as American Bankers Insurance Company of Florida, by presenting false information on a claim as well.

Copeland staged a burglary of his Pearl City home and reported jewelry, cash, liquor and electronics were missing. He provided Assurant a list of items stolen including engagement and wedding rings. Assurant paid Copeland $4796.71 as a result of his insurance claim. During that same staged burglary, the keys to his Mercedes as well as the vehicle itself were missing. It was later reported burning nearby by an eyewitness. USAA would have paid Copeland $13,393.00 for the Mercedes had it been a valid claim. Copeland later admitted to insurance fraud Investigators that he staged the burglary and the burning Mercedes and that he submitted false claims to both insurance companies.

Through his defense attorney, Copeland moved for a deferral of the charges. Sentencing is set for October 2018 where Judge Garibaldi will rule on the deferral at that time.

North Carolina Woman Charged With Insurance Fraud

Lashunda Bobbitt, of Rocky Mount, N.C., was charged with felony insurance fraud and making a false report to police, which is a misdemeanor.

North Carolina Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey made the announcement last week.

According to the arrest warrant, Bobbitt filed a false report with Enfield police, saying that she was pulled out of the driver’s seat of a stolen 2005 Chevrolet Trailblazer.

Special agents with the N.C. Department of Insurance’s Criminal Investigations Division accuse Bobbitt of filing a fraudulent stolen vehicle claim with MetLife Auto and Home Insurance Co.

The offenses occurred in Halifax County between March 11 and May 21, according to the warrant. Bobbitt was arrested on May 31 in Halifax County and released on $5,000 unsecured bond.