Columbus man owes $16,000 in workers’ comp fraud case

Danny McDonald of Columbus (Franklin County) recently pleaded guilty to workers’ compensation fraud and must pay restitution of more than $16,000.  A tip led to an investigation of McDonald and BWC’s Special Investigations Department (SID) found he reported inaccurate wages to BWC to obtain Living Maintenance Wage Loss (LMWL) benefits he was not entitled to receive.  McDonald completed a BWC rehabilitation program in 2008 and began working as a tow truck driver.  In order to receive LMWL, he was supposed to report his bi-weekly earnings from his employer so BWC could pay him the difference between his current earnings and his earnings prior to his industrial injury.  McDonald began reporting earnings that were significantly less than his actual earnings, causing BWC to pay him a higher amount than he was entitled to receive.  McDonald entered his guilty plea April 19.  He was sentenced to three years of community control and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $16,384.94, in addition to investigative costs totaling $3,312.08.