Maryland construction worker sentenced to 6 months in jail
TOWSON,
MD—Clarence E. Gentry, 34, of North East, Md., was found guilty of theft against IWIF Workers’ Compensation Insurance in Cecil County District Court. Evidence proved Gentry had been collecting temporary total disability benefits from IWIF while gainfully employed as a concrete finisher. The judge sentenced Gentry to 18 months in prison with 12 months suspended, 18 months of supervised probation and ordered Gentry to pay IWIF $3,300 in restitution. Gentry was also charged with false claim and attempted false claim.
The charges followed an internal investigation led by IWIF’s Special Investigations Unit. The claims adjuster assigned to Gentry’s case requested surveillance of his activities after receiving information that Gentry might be working while collecting disability benefits. Company records indicate IWIF paid the injured worker $18,812.58 in TT benefits from November 13, 2006 through November 1, 2007. A field investigator obtained video surveillance that proved to be a critical piece of evidence in the case. A copy of the surveillance video was sent to the claimant’s physician, who subsequently determined that Gentry could return to full duty as a concrete finisher.
Ten days after being cleared to return to work, Gentry’s attorney filed for additional TT benefits and job placement assistance. During a hearing at the Workers’ Compensation Commission in Abingdon, Md., Gentry filed for additional benefits and claimed he had not worked while collecting TT benefits from IWIF. He also claimed his doctor had not released him to return to work. IWIF gave testimony to the contrary and submitted surveillance video of the claimant working as a concrete finisher. The Maryland Workers’ Compensation Commission denied Gentry’s request for additional benefits.
In 2008, IWIF referred 28 cases of suspected claimant fraud for prosecution.
Created in 1914, IWIF is the largest writer of workers’ compensation insurance in Maryland.
