Two Fla. Residents Face Workers’ Comp Fraud Charges

Two Florida men are facing workers’ compensation fraud charges after insurance fraud investigators with the Department of Financial Services conducted investigations of numerous construction sites in and around Okeechobee recently.

Investigators with the Division of Insurance Fraud, Bureau of Workers’ Compensation Fraud, said James I. Vernon, 33, of Ft. Pierce, and Barry L. Cooper, 42, of Loxahatchee, were caught working without the required coverage and had no prior or current exemption.

Failure to secure workers’ comp insurance is punishable by up to five years in prison and fines.

Vernon was reportedly found working alone as a subcontractor for A. Lee Construction Inc. He was charged with failure to secure workers’ compensation insurance.

Cooper, owner of Solid Rock Excavating Inc., was allegedly found performing concrete work with four employees. Neither Cooper nor his company had a valid workers’ comp insurance policy. A new online database has been developed to send automatic electronic notification to primary contractors who sign up for the service, concerning changes to a subcontractor’s workers’ comp coverage status. This free service is available at www.fldfs.com/wc by clicking on the “Construction Policy Tracking Database” icon.