Ex-Claims Adjuster Sentenced in Louisiana

A federal judge in Louisiana has sentenced a former claims adjuster to 46 months in prison for stealing nearly $300,000 from a workers’ compensation group in Lafayette.

The Advocate reports the U.S. Attorney’s Office charged 36-year-old Edward Paul Verdin, of Franklin, with mail fraud and money laundering in December 2009. He pleaded guilty to both counts in January.

Over a two-year period, prosecutors say Verdin diverted over $297,000 from the Louisiana Oilfield Contractor’s Association, where he worked as a claims adjuster, to Legal Risk Management Consultants, a fictitious private investigation firm that he created in July 2007.

U.S. District Judge Richard Haik also ordered Verdin to pay $285,395 in restitution upon release from prison.

Information from: The Advocate