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Restaurant owners convicted of comp fraud

Posted On: Aug. 28, 2017 2:04 PM CST

Restaurant owners convicted of comp fraud

An Ohio restaurant owner is required to reimburse the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation $9,406 after his former employer accused him of workers compensation fraud, the bureau said Friday in a statement. 

Danville, Ohio-based Mark J. Cothern pleaded guilty to one fifth-degree felony count of attempted workers comp fraud on Aug. 11. Investigators found that Mr. Cothern was receiving BWC benefits while working at his restaurant in Danville, the Score-board Drive-in. Mr. Cothern must serve three years of probation, the bureau said in the statement. 

In addition, Elton Rista an Avon Lake, Ohio-based restaurant owner pleaded guilty to a second-degree misdemeanor count of failure to comply after he refused to cooperate with BWC to reinstate his workers comp coverage. Mr. Rista is required to pay $9,478 in premiums and was sentenced to two years of community control, according to the statement.