People collecting disability shouldn’t work … on TV
January 7, 2010 by Fred HosierPosted in: In this week's e-newsletter, Latest News & Views, Workers' comp, new court decision
The bright lights of TV proved too attractive to an interior designer who was on workers’ comp.
When an employee with the insurance company making the disability payments saw the designer on a TV show, he alerted the California Department of Insurance.
Now Ronald Hunt of Sunland, CA, will pay $151,700 in restitution and $31,000 in back taxes. He pleaded guilty to one felony count of state income tax fraud and one felony count of insurance fraud. He was also sentenced to 200 hours of community service.
Hunt continued working as an interior designer from 2003 to 2006, including an appearance on an HGTV home improvement show.
While collecting the disability payments, Hunt made more than $400,500 in income.
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Tags: disability payments, HGTV, insurance fraud
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January 8th, 2010 at 9:46 am
I don’t think 200 hours and/or restitiution is enough to deter this type of fraud. There should be some jail time attached and he should receive a bill for his stay upon release… clearly he has the $.
January 12th, 2010 at 11:39 am
It is interesting. No where does it say he was not injured or disabled. The court case was about his concealing from investigators (who are supposed to be checking on this stuff) the second job. This he plead guilty to. Kind of like insurance companies refusing to pay your hospital bills today when you made a small error on the form years ago and characterizing it as fraud.
Perhaps the problem is with the system that measures ability/ disability. It is still pretty much subjective no matter how many doctors and charts and tests. I personally believe that this is where most of the cost of healthcare has gone, trying to minimize the subjective with additional tests.
If we took the lawyers out of the equations and also all the tests that most doctors feel are unecessary, but are done to “cya” you could probably afford everything including the occassional person who will scam the system. Personally, I think that most work for more than a paycheck. Those that are in jobs where it is just about a paycheck are being damaged everyday and probably are due some compensation, but that damage isn’t covered by workers compensation. The doctors, lawyers, and accountants saw to that.
January 12th, 2010 at 1:31 pm
I agree with both Jason and Mike’s statement. I think Jason hit the nail right on the head; those that commit these crimes need to go to jail and i don’t mean some cushy prison. It is also possible that this individual has no past criminal history and thought that he could get away with it. Ok, then the monetary penality should be stiff and severe. As for the The Community Service, that is a joke and an unsult to the rest of us.
January 13th, 2010 at 4:26 pm
What a joke! Community service is what kids get when they spray paint something on a building, not what someone should get for fraud! There should be a minimum sentance of at least 5 years (depending on amount gotten). If they took more money, then they get longer jail time. And along with the jail, I think he should have to pay back at least double of what he got. He made enough to cover it.
What was he thinking in the first place? “Oh, no one will notice me on national television.” What a MORON!!!