Ex-NY Postal Employee Receives 3-Year Probation Term for Workers’ Compensation Fraud

According to Insurance Journal, 61-year-old Christine O’Neill of Johnson City, NY was officially sentenced to three years of probation for fraudulently receiving workers’ compensation benefits totaling $46,287 paid by the United States Postal Service and United States Department of Labor.

O’Neill submitted a claim for a back injury that allegedly rendered her unable to fulfill her duties as a postal employee, and indicated “that she was not employed, self-employed, or involved in any business enterprise” between 2015 and 2016, when she was collecting federal workers’ comp benefits.

An investigation developed that O’Neill was in fact employed and earning an income, as she was running her own business, Chris’ Cookies and Cakes.

Insurance Journal writes, “Agents videotaped O’Neill selling baked goods at a local craft fair during the course of their investigation and bought baked goods from O’Neill who provided the undercover agent with a business card.”

Note, we see this quite often; people working side jobs or have their own side businesses (even more NOW due to Covid) for extra cash, without reporting the income to the proper agencies, be it workers’ compensation, unemployment, disability, etc. In the age of social media, people want to reach their customer bases to drive up sales, and pop up markets, flea markets, and events are the perfect place to set up, especially with nice weather approaching. An Internet Profile Report in conjunction with surveillance - highly recommend!

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