Key officials behind the BaronHR staffing companies, including its founder and current chairman Luis Enrique Perez, are being charged with workers’ comp and tax fraud. The Orange County’s District Attorney’s office filed a 15-count felony indictment against Perez, Veronica Lake who worked as his controller, and Scott Wesley Smith who was director of safety at …
A California Court of Appeal ruled the government can proceed with fraud charges filed against chiropractor Peyman Heidary for allegedly bilking the workers’ comp system out of millions. The Fourth District just rejected Heidary’s petition to have the indictment set aside for lack of probable cause. The Riverside County District Attorney charged Heidary last year …
“There is not sufficient evidence for the Court to award restitution,” say federal prosecutors in a declaration concerning many of the claims made by carriers about a workers’ comp fraud ring. The ring generated hundreds of millions of dollars in billings for spinal surgeries that were fueled by a widespread kickback scheme paying providers for …
Assembly Insurance Committee chairman Tom Daly (D-Anaheim) won easy passage out of his committee for two bills that he is championing – AB 1749 covering workers’ comp benefits for peace officers injured out of state, and AB 2046 to implement new anti-fraud provisions. Each bill passed unanimously, but not without some industry opposition. Daly is …
Applied Underwriters will have to face a California employer’s fraud charges over its controversial EquityComp program after a federal district court judge refused to dismiss the claims. The case was …
The Department of Industrial Relations and the California Department of Insurance have either fully implemented the recommendations made by the California state auditor for improving their fight against workers’ comp fraud or are well on their way to compliance. The Assembly Insurance Committee is also preparing to add recommendations from that December report to legislation …
The number of physicians suspended from California’s workers’ comp system under the AB 1244 rules is increasing. It is now up to thirteen. The Division of Workers’ Compensation’s Administrative Director approved the suspension of three providers after they challenged the orders before Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board administrative law judges. Four others were suspended from the …
Old charges were dismissed and new felony charges filed against the alleged co-conspirators in a Los Angeles workers’ comp fraud scheme that reportedly bilked California employers and carriers out of $150 million. The legal maneuverings split the case into three separate actions in a bid to streamline the prosecutions of 12 defendants in the alleged …