A Fillmore, CA, labor contractor was arrested and charged Nov. 25 for allegedly denying injured employees health and disability benefits and for failing to notify insurance carriers of injuries suffered by employees.
Robert Delara, owner of Pacific Coast Farm Labor and B&R Farm Labor, was charged with three felony counts of violating the state Insurance Code for making fraudulent statements to discourage injured employees from seeking medical care.
Delara is also charged with four counts of violating state law for concealing information that would impact injured workers’ entitlement to benefits, according to the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office.
His alleged failure to report workplace injuries resulted in $555,326 in premium losses to his workers’ compensation carriers, as well as additional costs related to the denial of benefits.
Delara faces a maximum sentence of 11 years.