Massachusetts Man Gets Probation for Defrauding State

A former Massachusetts prisons worker has been sentenced to five years of probation for defrauding the state by running long-distance races while collecting worker’s compensation for an on-the-job injury.

John Cloutier of Freetown pleaded guilty on Wednesday to workers’ compensation fraud. The 46-year-old Cloutier was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in jail, suspended for the five-year probationary period. He must also repay nearly $57,000 in restitution.

Prosecutors say Cloutier claimed a work-related injury in July 2008 while working for the Department of Correction. The attorney general’s office said it received an anonymous tip that Cloutier ran a marathon and two half-marathons while claiming he was too injured to participate in strenuous activities.

Cloutier’s lawyer says his client is a good man who showed “poor judgment.”