The Special Investigative Unit of RJN Investigations, Inc. was recently notified by the Orange County District Attorney’s Office in regard to the formal sentencing of a former County Sheriff Special Officer. In this particular case, the claimant filed a workers’ compensation claim and based upon listed restrictions, the employer was unable to accommodate. As such, he began to receive Temporary Total Disability payments. As the claimant did not appear to be improving despite medical treatment provided, the examiner authorized the RJN SIU Department to conduct surveillance measures to determine the claimant’s true outside physical activity level. In the course of this surveillance level investigation, substantial video was obtained depicting the claimant performing a variety of outside physical activities showing no sign of restrictions or utilization of any artificial support. The claimant subsequently testified at a hearing before the Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board and made material misrepresentations in his testimony before the WCAB judge under the penalty of perjury. In compliance with the regulations set forth by the California Department of Insurance, the RJN SIU submitted a formal documented referral to their Fraud Division as well as to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office Workers’ Compensation Fraud Unit. Upon completion of the criminal investigation performed by the California Department of Insurance Fraud Division, the claimant was subsequently charged with two counts in violation of Penal Code Section 550(b), one count in violation of Insurance Code Section 1871.4(a)(1), and one count in violation of Penal Code Section 118(a). After attending several criminal court hearings, the claimant changed his not guilty plea and entered into a plea-bargaining agreement in which he pled guilty to 2 counts of PC 550(b) and 1 count of 1871.4(a)(1). Subsequently, 1 count of 118(a) and 1 count of 1871.4(a)(1) was dismissed. At his sentencing on June 26th, 2026, the claimant was formally ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $92,441.85 as well as serve 120 days in confinement and one-year formal probation.
ABOUT R.J.N. SIU:
Formed in 1996, the RJN SIU Division was created to assist California employers, governmental agencies, insurance carriers and TPA firms in securing professional assistance so as to detect, investigate and prosecute insurance fraud. To date, the unit has trained well over 4,000 examiners and the documented referrals by this unit have resulted in over 265 convictions for workers’ compensation insurance fraud in California. In just the last 4 years, we have secured $2,584,531.00 in court ordered restitution/savings on behalf of our valued clients.
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