Massachusetts Workers' Compensation Lawyer Blog
The Office of Attorney General Martha Coakley has announced that John Cloutier, 46, of East Freetown, Massachusetts, is guilty of Workers’ Compensation Fraud while working for the Department of Correction. From July 2008 to March 2010, Cloutier collected workers’ compensation for a work-related injury and told medical examiners that he could not stand for an extended period of time or take part in any activities that might stress or worsen his injuries. However, it was later discovered and proven that he ran a long-distance marathon and several half-marathons during this same time period.
In March of 2010, a workers’ compensation judge at the Department of Industrial Accidents decided that he was not eligible for any workers’ compensation after his first marathon as they were given evidence that he ran long-distance races from January 2009 to September 2009. Investigations into the matter found that he wrongfully collected over $56,000 after January 2009. The Department of Correction then handed the matter over to the Attorney General’s Office for prosecution in April of 2010.
Superior Court Judge Frances McIntyre charged Cloutier with two and a half years in the House of Correction and with a probation period of five years. During Cloutier’s probation, he is not allowed to work for a public entity, he must inform any employer of his sentence, and he also must repay the entire amount of compensation that he was not eligible for after January 2009 in the amount of $56,733.
To find out if you have grounds for a workers’ compensation case or if you have been injured in the workplace, contact one of our experienced Massachusetts Workers’ Compensation Lawyers for a free consultation.
Source:
Former Correction Officer Pleads Guilty, Sentenced for Fraudulently Collecting Workers’ Compensation Benefits, Office of Attorney General Martha Coakley Press Release, March 30, 2011
Contact the Massachusetts work injury lawyers at Altman & Altman if you have been injured on the job.
