Pennsylvania Businessmen Charged with Workers’ Comp Violations

Criminal charges were filed recently against two Pennsylvania businessmen accused of violating workers’ compensation laws, the Department of Labor & Industry reported.

According to the criminal complaint, Douglas Pifer, of Bradford, sole proprietor of Douglas Pifer Trucking Company, operated his trucking company between March 28, 2004, and Dec. 12, 2010, without workers’ compensation insurance even though the U.S. Postal Service had provided Pifer with $94,774.28 for that purpose.

U.S. Postal Service contracts include a line item that provides mail transport companies with funds specifically allocated for purchasing workers’ compensation coverage.

Pifer is charged with 10 counts of failure to insure and one count of theft by failure to make required disposition of funds.

George Economou, of Drexel Hill, president of Stacy’s Pizza, failed to maintain the required workers’ compensation coverage for its employees between April 29, 2006, and Dec. 31, 2006, according to the criminal complaint filed against him.

Economou is charged with 496 counts of failure to insure.

SOURCE: Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry