City Man Accused of Workers' Comp Fraud

A Glen Cove man faces up to seven years in prison after state and county authorities revealed Tuesday that they charged him with fraudulently collecting more than $30,000 in workers' compensation. 

"Workers' compensation insurance is protection against physical and financial harm, not a system to be gamed for personal enrichment," Robert Beloten, the chair of the state's Workers' Compensation Board, said in the statement.

According to County District Attorney Kathleen Rice's office, the resident, whose name was not provided, collected the benefits illegally last year after he continued to work one job while claiming injury status for another. 

While working as a HVAC engineer for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, authorities said, the 43-year-old resident injured his shoulder in September 2009. He was cleared to return to work, but while he was waiting for a position to become available months later, county officials said, he worked as a watch engineer for North Shore-Long Island Jewish Hospital without notifying the MTA. 

He was charged on Tuesday for third-degree grand larceny and insurance fraud, offering a false instrument for filling and penalties for fraudulent acts.  

His attorney, Bill Jaye, of Carle Place, did not return phone calls for a comment.