Disability Lawyers News Room

Bureau Finds Ohio Worker Guilty of Disability Fraud

A Cincinnati man pleaded guilty to one count of workers' compensation fraud, the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation announced Thursday.

Michael Thompson was ordered to pay $5,582.50 in restitution and was sentenced to three years community control for fraudulently collecting permanent total disability benefits that his deceased stepbrother had been receiving.

The original claimant, Charles Yarbrough, was injured on March 16, 1953, while working for Allied Materials Handling Co.

Both Yarbrough and Thompson lived in the same house. When Yarbrough died on May 7, 2000, the family did not notify BWC, so the benefits continued.

BWC's special investigations unit received notice of Yarbrough's death and launched an investigation on Jan. 19, 2001. BWC officials said Thompson forged and cashed the checks sent to Yarbrough.

Thompson was indicted on May 19.

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