He Knee-ded to Tell the Truth

Jorge Benitez of Huntington Beach was arrested on June 9 on workers’ compensation fraud charges.

According to CDI fraud investigators, the 47-year-old man claimed that on July 13, 1996, while employed at J.C. Penney, he had slipped and injured his knee. He reported the incident to his supervisor, yet continued to work. Then, in June of 1997, he filed a workers’ comp claim against J.C. Penney for the injuries he allegedly sustained while employed with them.

During his medical evaluations for his workers’ comp claim, Benitez denied that he had a previous knee injury. He settled his claim with J.C. Penney in November 1998.

Investigators learned that on May 22, 1998, Benitez filed a workers’ comp claim for a knee injury he suffered while employed at Fancy Fruit Corporation in Huntington Beach. During medical evaluations for this claim, Benitez denied or understated the severity of the previous injuries sustained to his knee. Investigators also found out that Benitez injured his knee in 1995 while working for Rainbow Disposal in Huntington Beach.