Texas Man Pleads Guilty to Workers’ Compensation Fraud

Ronaldo Martins of Irving, Texas, was sentenced to one year of deferred adjudication and ordered to pay $2,850 in restitution to Texas Mutual Insurance Company as a result of his guilty plea on a workers’ compensation fraud-related charge.

Martins reported a job-related injury while working as a driver for Texas Plywood and Lumber Company. He claimed he was unable to work as a result of the injury.

While claiming income benefits from Texas Mutual, it was discovered that Martins was working as an equipment operator for the city of Irving.

Investigators call this type of scam double-dipping because the claimant collects benefits for being too injured to work when he or she is, in fact, gainfully employed. Texas law requires claimants to contact their workers’ compensation carrier when they return to work.

Source: Texas Mutual Insurance Company