Compliance October 20, 2006

CT Officials Charge Female Football Player with Benefits Fraud

October 20, 2006 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Connecticut authorities have charged a state worker with fraudulently getting workers' compensation benefits for an on-the-job injury when actually she was able to play professional football despite being hurt.
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Inspectors from the chief Connecticut state’s attorney’s office charged Corynthia Simpson of Middletown with two counts of fraudulent claim or receipt of workers’ compensation benefits and one count of forgery in the third degree, according to a  news release.

State officials say that Simpson got the benefits after claiming she had been injured at the Juvenile Training School, where she has been employed as a youth services officer since July 2004, the news release said.

However, prosecutors charged that at the same time as she was collecting workers’ compensation benefits, Simpson was also playing tackle football for the Connecticut Crush of the National Women’s Football Association. Simpson played as a defensive and offensive lineman for the Crush in 2006, which was her rookie season.

State officials also allege that Simpson altered a form filed in connection with her workers’ compensation case to change the date on which she was supposed to return to work.

Fraudulent receipt of workers’ compensation benefits carries a maximum prison term of 20 years. Forgery in the third degree carries a maximum term of five years in jail.

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