Man pays back scammed workers compensation cash

A Colorado man has been convicted for submitting false payroll checks to obtain workers compensation benefits from the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation.

Charles D. Murray of Crested Butte, Colorado, erroneously—fraudulently submitted pay stubs from Ohio businesses between 2011 and 2013 to receive wage loss working benefits, which are meant for claimants who experience wage loss as a result of their workplace injuries, the bureau said in a statement Thursday.

Mr. Murray pleaded guilty to one count of workers comp fraud, a first-degree misdemeanor, and was convicted on March 18 in Franklin County Municipal Court in Columbus, Ohio, according to the statement.

“Prior to entering his plea, Murray issued a cashier’s check to (the bureau) totaling $21,927.09, including full restitution and investigative costs,” according to the statement.

The bureau is Ohio’s monopoly workers comp insurer, providing coverage to more than 254,000 Ohio employers, according to the bureau’s website.