Hello, dear readers!
Well, it looks like another workers’ comp fraudster has gone down! The Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office has announced that Todd Phillips, a corrections officer, has pled guilty to misdemeanor workers’ compensation insurance fraud.
After being taken off work for a 2010 foot injury, Mr. Phillips complained of pain in his foot and being unable to work while playing in softball games (running bases, running to catch balls, and hitting his foot with the bat!).
The sentence? 60 days in county jail, with Sheriff’s release program recommended, 3 years’ probation, and almost $13,000 in restitution to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
Your humble blogger congratulations the district attorney’s office on a successful prosecution, and welcomes this as another demonstration of diligent and effective investigation of a claim well past the 90-day mark.
However, it also provides some sad commentary on how slow the wheels of justice move: for misconduct that was video-taped in September of 2012, there is a conviction now, 3.5 years later. There will probably be some time before the CDCR receives restitution, and, as always, the tax-payers foot the bill for the prosecution. In this case, the tax-payers foot the bill for the investigation as well.
The workers’ compensation system, as it is, allowed this fraudster to slip through the cracks and continue to receive benefits. The justice system, as it is, provided weak and slow justice to the ultimate victims – the taxpayers of California.
What about the fraudsters out there that decide that engaging in public displays of sports-competency and ability are not a good idea at a time that fraud is being alleged? What about those that are simply happy to be paid not to work while retaining their health? They can catch up on reading, their favorite movies, and spend quality time with their families while someone else foots the bill, and the likelihood of detection and prosecution is almost non-existent.
Something has got to give, dear readers… something has got to give.
Have a good weekend!