Pickerington man sentenced for workers’ comp fraud

COLUMBUS – A Pickerington man was sentenced Feb. 24 in Franklin County Court of Common Pleas for working while receiving workers’ compensation benefits.

Gary Smith pleaded guilty to one count of workers’ compensation fraud, a first-degree misdemeanor.

The Ohio Bureau of Workers Compensation received an allegation that Smith was working while receiving temporary total disability benefits. Investigators found that he had returned to work as a coordinator for a nonprofit organization and concealed his return-to-work activities from BWC to continue receiving the disability benefits. Injured workers are not permitted to work while on temporary total disability.

Smith was ordered to pay $4,442.07 in restitution to BWC and was placed on non-reporting community control. He must pay the restitution by March 1, 2016, or he will be ordered to serve 180 days in jail.