Toledo woman convicted for taking late boyfriend’s work comp benefits

Four others convicted in recent fraud cases

A Toledo woman who cashed her late boyfriend’s work comp benefits for more than a year after his death must reimburse the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation more than $18,000 or serve 10 months in prison, a Lucas County judge ruled Oct. 5.

The judge ordered Suzette Hedrick, 58, to reimburse BWC $18,576 and serve five years of probation after she pleaded guilty to attempted grand theft, a fifth-degree felony.

“Our investigation found that Ms. Hedrick deliberately withheld from BWC that her boyfriend had died, which enabled her to illicitly use his electronic benefits card for personal gain,” said Jim Wernecke, director of BWC’s special investigations department (SID). “We understand the financial hardship some people experience following the loss of a loved one, but that doesn’t diminish the seriousness of this crime.”

An internal claims specialist discovered last year that Hedrick’s boyfriend, who was on permanent total disability, had passed away on Oct. 3, 2015, but someone was still withdrawing his monthly benefits. The agency stopped paying benefits immediately. Hedrick admitted to agents that she used the card to pay her bills, and she accepted responsibility.

In other news:

• Elizabeth Brown, of Groveport, Ohio, pleaded guilty Oct. 12 to one misdemeanor count of workers’ compensation fraud for working while receiving BWC benefits. Investigators discovered Brown had worked in customer service for four separate companies from September 2015 to January 2016 while on temporary disability benefits. After her plea, she reimbursed BWC $3,905.
• Timothy Snedeker, of Newark, Ohio, was found guilty Oct. 3 of three misdemeanor counts of lapsed coverage for failing to carry workers’ compensation coverage on his business, Tim’s Tree Service. A Newark Municipal Court judge sentenced Snedeker to one year in prison, which he suspended for 90 days probation. Snedeker reimbursed BWC, and his business is now in active compliance.

  Theodore Skwarski, of Cleveland, Ohio, pleaded guilty Sept. 6 to unauthorized use of property/computer system, a second-degree misdemeanor, after BWC investigators found him operating Ted’s Auto Service without proper work comp coverage. A judge sentenced Skwarski to 90 days in jail (suspended), one year of community control and 20 hours of community service to be completed within the next six months. Skwarski told BWC he was no longer operating his business, but investigators discovered otherwise. He entered a payment plan and is currently operating with active coverage.

  Michael Humble, of London, Ohio, pleaded guilty Sept. 6 to a first-degree misdemeanor count of workers’ compensation fraud after BWC found him working while receiving permanent total disability benefits. He was sentenced to one day of jail, which was suspended for the payment of $3,834 in restitution.

To report suspected workers’ compensation fraud, call 1-800-644-6292 or visit bwc.ohio.gov.