Washington Man Ordered To Pay OH $12,000 For Working While Receiving Workers' Comp

Columbus, OH (WorkersCompensation.com) - A former Dayton (Montgomery County) man who relocated to Renton, Washington was sentenced after pleading guilty to fraud in connection with working while receiving workers' compensation benefits. Mario Scott, who was the subject of an investigation by the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation (BWC), pleaded guilty to the fifth-degree felony in the Franklin County Common Pleas Court on Sept. 26.

"Relocating to another state will not hinder BWC's resolve to uncover workers' comp fraud," said BWC Administrator/CEO Steve Buehrer. "Mr. Scott's move did not shield him from responsibility and we are pleased that he has been ordered to return $12,000 to the State Insurance Fund."

BWC's Special Investigations Unit (SIU) began an investigation after Scott contacted his claims service specialist to complain that his child support was taken out of his BWC benefits and employment wages. He was receiving disability benefits at that time and should not have been working. Investigators obtained evidence that Scott worked for several employers through a temp agency in the state of Washington while collecting various forms of disability benefits from BWC. He was employed in Washington from 2010 to 2011 while collecting $11,338.34 in BWC disability.

Scott was sentenced to five years of community control. He was ordered to repay $12,125.99 to the BWC - $11,338.34 in restitution and $787.65 in investigative costs. Scott was also ordered to undergo urine screens, obtain/maintain employment and to have no new arrests or convictions as conditions of his community control, which will be compacted to the state of Washington.

A photo of Scott is available here.

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