Calif. Woman Convicted for Workers’ Comp Insurance Fraud

An El Centro, Calif., woman and former employee of Centinela State Prison have been convicted for workers’ compensation insurance fraud, the California Department of Insurance reported. On June 9, 2010, Rosa Pitones was convicted in the Imperial County Superior Court after a jury trial. The jury found Pitones guilty of violating multiple counts of felony insurance fraud.

On July 1, 2004, Pitones filed a workers’ compensation injury claim with State Compensation Insurance Fund, CDI said. The injury reportedly occurred while Pitones was on duty as a librarian at Centinela State Prison. Pitones claimed that she could not return to work at Centinela State Prison due to the injury. Pitones was initially off work for approximately one year. She returned to work briefly and then was placed off work again in August 2006. Witness statements reported that while out of work on workers’ compensation temporary disability at Centinela State Prison, Pitones was employed as an assistant librarian at Imperial Valley College, CDI said.

An investigation by the California Department of Corrections, the Imperial Valley District Attorney’s Office and the California Department of Insurance revealed that Pitones was employed as a full-time assistant librarian at the college from Feb. 1, 2007, through June 30, 2007, with an annual salary of $62,655 ($31,485 for the contract period), according to CDI. Pitones agreed to the job offer on Feb. 1, 2007. A second contract was in the file for July 2, 2007 through Dec. 31, 2007, which listed an annual salary of $70,392 ($35,196 for the contract period). From Feb. 7, 2007 through Aug. 2, 2007 while working at Imperial Valley College, Pitones continued to receive workers’ compensation disability payments from State Compensation Insurance Fund totaling $20,617.72.

Pitones is scheduled for sentencing in Imperial County Superior Court on July 7, 2010.

This case is being prosecuted by the Imperial County District Attorney’s Office.

Source: CDI