The Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation (BWC) said Juanita Kirk was ordered to pay more $5,443 in restitution to BWC. In addition, she was sentenced to 120 days in jail and put on probation for two years. The jail sentence was suspended.
"All Ohioans must continue to assertively seek out and report those who try to defraud the workers' comp system," said James Conrad, BWC CEO/administrator. "A partnership among injured workers, employers and medical providers is critical in helping to keep premium costs low while ensuring the highest, most efficient level of service for employees who are injured on the job."
Kirk was initially injured in 1991, while working for Horton Emergency Vehicle Co. She suffered a shoulder and lumbar sprain along with a herniated disc. BWC allowed the claim and began providing medical benefits and financial compensation.
However, BWC's special investigations unit (SIU) received a tip in July 2000 from its automated detection and intelligence unit (AD&I). The AD&I unit conducted a computer crossmatch with the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services in which Kirk's name appeared on a payroll report, indicating she had returned to work without terminating or her workers' compensation benefits.
The case was opened on July 28, 2000, and Kirk was found to be working for Little Darby Veterinary Services and Grossman's Foot and Ankle Center while still collecting workers' compensation.
The investigation was closed on Feb. 28, 2001, and Kirk was indicted in a Franklin County Common Pleas courtroom on April 19, 2001.
