Too “Injured” to Sell Stamps, but Drywall and Hardware? No Problem!

May 29, 2009 by
Filed under: legal cases, oig, postal, window clerks 

From the USPS Office of Inspector General

Fraudulent workers’ compensation claims make up a small percentage of the total claims submitted by Postal Service employees. But they can cost the Postal Service thousands of dollars in long-term costs. So, when a tip on a suspect claim is reported to the OIG, our Special Agents investigate.

This was the case when a postal supervisor observed one of his employees, a Sales and Service Associate, working as a cashier at a home improvement store. Second jobs are not uncommon, especially in these economic times. But this employee was unable to work her postal job due to a claimed on-the-job injury to her right knee in March 2008. So, while gathering a home improvement store paycheck starting in April 2008, she was also receiving workers’ compensation payments – – 75% of her postal salary – tax-free!

OIG Special Agents found that the postal employee deceived her treating physician about her work capabilities and told the doctor the Postal Service had no “limited duty” work available. When the true information was provide to the physician, he immediately returned the employee to work full duty without medical restrictions. The Department of Labor terminated her benefits and the Postal Service avoided the potential cost of $1,103,149 in future OWCP compensation payments. The postal employee’s story doesn’t end there. She was fired from her job. A federal Grand Jury indicted her and a jury convicted her of making false statements and mail fraud. She is facing up to 25 years in prison at sentencing. She has got to be asking herself, “Was it worth it?”

If you suspect workers’ compensation fraud by a Postal Service employee, contact us at 1-888-USPS-OIG.

USPS OIG

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Comments

No Comments on Too “Injured” to Sell Stamps, but Drywall and Hardware? No Problem!

  1. Fed-Up on Fri, 29th May 2009 11:42 am

    2. It was WELL WORTH IT !!!

  2. Retired on Fri, 29th May 2009 11:52 am

    3. I’m SO GLAD she got caught. II knew a woman some tears ago who was out on wc and was caught working at K-Mart. She was a clerk then. She now is making BIG BUCKS in management. No kidding. The po never fails to amaze me.

  3. Retired on Fri, 29th May 2009 11:55 am

    4. ok, before someone jumps on my case, that should have been years ago, not tears ago. sorry

  4. Archer on Fri, 29th May 2009 12:38 pm

    5. So I am now wondering, in this day and age, the postal service is sending people home no work available even for the simplest of restrictions, so whats a person to do?

    Perhaps another sales job in a home depot that doesn’t require any lifting, or something within restrictions, is something a person could apply for if the USPS sends them home for lack of suitable work.

    Will a person in that situation get into trouble with OWCP?

  5. steward on Fri, 29th May 2009 2:29 pm

    6. As long as you don’t fill out a PS-7 form asking to be compensated from Workers Comp. The law requires Workers Comp to pay you if the PO does not. If you don’t claim payment – no harm done.
    As for this employee….25 years sounds about right.

  6. IT'S LATINA TIME! on Fri, 29th May 2009 3:46 pm

    7. lets start busting all the frauders..and that will be a full time job,,in these tough times 10 grand for a tip leading to a conviction..is very tempting….

  7. John on Fri, 29th May 2009 5:12 pm

    8. So many PO employees are stating they are uanble to do their job, but you find them golfing, bowling, hunting, fishing, working side jobs. When it comes to work they can’t lift over shoulders, walk more then 30 feet, stand more than 10 min etc. I hope they all get convicted.

  8. cav0903 on Fri, 29th May 2009 5:51 pm

    9. This crisis is not simply the worker’s comp fraud case. Fraud and stealing are a part of the daily work environment at the postal service everywhere.
    When you produce less than you are capable of, take the union preached ” go slow, for more dough” mentality, that too is an example of fraud and theft. So there are actually more of those out there than the OIG is capable of disciplining. But I truly hope those slugs get caught one day too.

    Come on..working overtime with the mail volume we are seeing these days. If you are, you should be ashamed of yourself, and it will eventually catch up with you. Perhaps ending your career.

    So next time you think about taking that extra break, and working slower to make a half hour of overtime, consider yourself just as guilty as those described in this article. You know who you are!

    You are only hurting yourselves. You just do not see that right now.

  9. Really hurt on Fri, 29th May 2009 7:35 pm

    10. Too bad examples like this make us all look bad. After three major surgeries to my legs I am almost back to full duty but have real difficulty with hills and steps. My office is almost all park and loop. Sadly, my multiple attempts to transfer to a station that is all or mostly mounted have been blocked by a series of BS reasons. The Post Office is completely heartless when it comes to injured workers.

    I do not condone scamming, but because I have limitations I should no longer enjoy any activities in my life? Now that is asking too much!! Be glad you have your health including those fingers you point so freely.

  10. Smalltownsteward on Fri, 29th May 2009 8:01 pm

    11. Go slow for more dough? Are you serious??? How about. Do the job the right/safe way and be able to play with your grandkids instead of being crippled when you retire. I love how people like you blame the union for telling people to go “slower” and then when they get hurt they blame the union again. LOL. Get it right would ya.

  11. RETIRED1 on Fri, 29th May 2009 8:49 pm

    12. Is she hot?

  12. jas on Sat, 30th May 2009 12:29 am

    13. If it was so easy to get approval for work related injuries/illness just about everyone I work with would have them. WC is not easy to get even for the most obvious cases. There is no guidance ,and when you do get approved ,it does not get easier.I’ve had carpal tunnel, deqervains, trigger fingers and rotor cuff cases.My hands don’t work right anymore and it will be like that forever. I’ve worked in pain for years .There are more people who would be eligble for WC benifits,if we were not looked at like we were trying to rip off the PO. WC abuse is real but so are the people who should be recieving benifits and are not.

  13. Captain America on Sat, 30th May 2009 4:43 am

    14. When the investigator is as corrupt as they investigatee, then no, I will not call the OIG. Catch them yourselves.

  14. Retired on Sat, 30th May 2009 7:25 am

    15. It’s really a shame that a few dishonest people always have to ruin things for everyone else. Just like FMLA. It’s a great program, but when people go around bragging how they went up north fishing, etc., and used FMLA,other people here this and then everyone is painted with same wide brush. That’s why when people do get caught, I say throw the book at them!

  15. Mike on Sat, 30th May 2009 9:18 am

    16. I blame OWCP for some of this mess with fraudulent injury claims. I know two Carriers in my office who have collected OWCP for over 10 years without follow-up from the Dept of Labor.

    The NRP National Reassessment Program should require all those collecting OWCP, to go through the NRP process, to find new jobs within the employees limitations. This isn’t being done. Too often the limited duty on OWCP just fall threw the cracks and collect without any monitoring for years.

    We had another Carrier who got paid $13,000 for a schedule award because of his carpal tunnel. When they tried to make him a Window Clerk, suddenly his wrists were better and he went back to carrying mail. No fraud investigation…no requirement to pay back the $13,000….he got away with the scam.

  16. Anonymous on Sat, 30th May 2009 3:50 pm

    17. The OIG needs to concentrate its efforts on the biggest scammers and theives in the PO – MANAGEMENT!

  17. tired of working pivots on Sat, 30th May 2009 6:27 pm

    18. Every federal employee injured on the job is entitled to Workers Compensation. However, some individuals view it thier private golden parachute. When an individual opts to fraudently claim an injury, we all suffer. Carriers/clerks have to pick up the slack work harder, and are urged by supervisors to work faster, longer and harder. While we are doing more work the fraudulent individual is sleeping in, going on vacation, shopping, bowling, dancing or just sitting on the couch eating bon-bons.

    It is just not fair. We all should be concerned

  18. TIM on Sat, 30th May 2009 6:40 pm

    19. The problem is it is not a few dishonest scammers out there, it is hundreds if not thousands. It is a pitty that the folks that are really injured get a bad rap, but shame on the fraudlant ones. If you don’t report and look the other way then shame on YOU. Someone is stealing then you should report.

  19. Mike on Sat, 30th May 2009 6:43 pm

    20. I blame the Union and I am just waiting for my anniv. date so I can get out. All they do is spend my dues going to meetings and trips to try and figure out ways to save the slugs that don’t want to work, but want a check. I am sick of it.

  20. Really hurt on Sat, 30th May 2009 11:01 pm

    21. Anyone who has ever dealt with OWCP would not talk about how easy it is to “scam”. The process sucks. Neither the Postal Service or DOL actually offer new positions within limitations, they merely suggest them to see if you agree. When asked what is available, they throw their hands in the air. They require ridiculous amounts of paperwork to be filled out by your doctor, then send the same multiple page repetitive questions every year. The system has no place for injured workers.

  21. Sam on Sun, 31st May 2009 7:24 am

    22. Your doctor is paid by who? Not the PO or DOL. We have a limited duty that can build houses on the side, but can’t carry a route. Don’t tell me it is hard to scam. He can’t lift more than 5 lbs or walk more than 30 feet “unless he is off work” then he is fully able to do anything. I have already turned his sorry butt in. Just waiting…Dead wait…

    We work in the heat or the cold and he stays inside answering phones. Not easy to scam, sure…

  22. Jon on Sun, 31st May 2009 10:01 am

    23. Personally, I feel the same way about 80 per cent of the 10 point veterans I have known over the years. They compete in martial arts classes, lift weithts 8 days a week and every other imaginable physical activity but often are pathetec workers.
    Don’t missunderstand, I am not speaking of the genuinely injured or combat wounded, in fact give them more, but you all know the type I am referring to. Similar to welfare. Give more to the truly deserving and the rest could go to prison as far as I am concerned!

  23. Mike on Sun, 31st May 2009 10:11 am

    24. Jon,

    Almost everyone of the ex-military we have in our office as Carriers are collecting between 40% to 100% disability from the military (mostly Navy). One for developing diabetes while on tour. Wouldn’t he have developed it anyway?

    One guy whose getting 100% disability is able to physically carry a route, yet the Navy considers him 100% disabled.

    I don’t get this?

  24. PillPopperLimbaugh on Mon, 1st Jun 2009 3:13 am

    25. How dare you attack our service men of which I am not one (chicken hawk).

  25. Mailman on Mon, 1st Jun 2009 4:40 pm

    26. Once mgmt cleans up their own waste/ranks, then they can worry about craft.

  26. PMG Potter on Wed, 3rd Jun 2009 2:48 am

    27. How dare you! My management team is above board. My 78 vice presidents run a clean ship. I myself, have 22 senior vice presidents reporting directly to me so the PO remains ship shape.

  27. Retired on Thu, 4th Jun 2009 10:19 am

    28. The article starts out that only a small percentage of workers comp cases submitted to the PO are fraudulent. How do they know this? They are just assuming this. I you can’t prove it, don’t say it.