Georgia woman sentenced for workers’ compensation fraud Print E-mail
Friday, Jan. 28, 2005

The Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC) announced a Decatur, Georgia woman has been sentenced for a felony charge of workers’ compensation fraud.

Mozelle Berry was sentenced to one year probation and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $947.90 to BWC. Berry paid the full restitution during the court hearing.

“Again, BWC has shown the people of Ohio and across the nation that we will not put up with fraud,” said James Conrad, BWC’s Administrator and CEO. “It’s only a matter of time before an individual who cheats the system is caught.”

BWC’s special investigations unit (SIU) learned of possible fraud when an injured worker named Homer Ragland died, yet his workers’ comp checks were still being cashed. The investigation confirmed Berry, Ragland’s niece, was illegally cashing his workers’ compensation checks.

BWC’s SIU specializes in identifying and investigating workers’ compensation fraud. Since its establishment in 1993, the department has saved the agency over $820 million. In 2004, the department saved the agency approximately $126 million, the highest amount yet recorded.

For every dollar spent on special investigations, BWC’s SIU identifies more than $11 in savings. The average take in a fraudulent workers’ compensation case is $34,000.

To report workers’ compensation fraud, call 1-800-OHIOBWC or contact your local BWC customer service office and ask for the fraud department. You also can submit an allegation on BWC’s Web site at ohiobwc.com.

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Media contact: Jeremy Jackson, BWC, (614) 752-7558 or Emily Hicks, (614)728-6197.