Former city councilman pays price for comp fraud

A former Red Bluff, California, councilman arrested in Florida in July 2016 while trying to flee the country was given a five-year, eight-month suspended prison sentence Thursday for numerous charges including workers compensation fraud, according to the Record Searchlight.

Suren Patel, 44, who faced a maximum seven-year, eight-month sentence, pleaded guilty in November to workers compensation fraud, grand theft and two counts of public officer crime. Most of the charges stem of his ownership of the American Best Valley Inn in Red Bluff, the newspaper reported.

Investigators said Mr. Patel did not pay taxes he owed to the city as owner of the American Best Valley Inn and was later investigated for embezzlement in connection to a complaint filed by a guest at the hotel who said her credit card was charged $6,000 after she stayed there.

He also did not have workers compensation coverage, according to the newspaper.

Mr. Patel, who pleaded guilty in November to four felonies, was also placed on probation for five years.