Former Louisiana Workers’ Comp Claims Adjuster Pleads Guilty

A man who worked for the Louisiana Oilfield Contractors Association has pleaded guilty to charges he fraudulently billed his employer for nearly $300,000 in expenses and used some of the money to purchase a health club.

Thirty-six-year-old Edward Paul Verdin, of Franklin, faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine following his guilty plea to mail fraud and money laundering charges.

Verdin was a claims adjuster for the association, a self-insured worker’s compensation group in Lafayette, and his duties included reviewing worker’s compensation cases for possible fraud.

Federal prosecutors said Verdin created a phony private investigation firm, used the company to bill his employer for fictitious investigative work and deposited the money into an account he opened.