Man Fined For Workers’ Comp Fraud

A San Diego County Superior Court judge has sentenced Kevin Vint, 50, of Del Mar, Calif., to three years formal probation for conspiracy to commit workers’ compensation insurance fraud and payroll tax evasion. Vint was ordered to pay restitution of $119,000 to State Compensation Insurance Fund and $31,000 to the California Em-ployment Development Department.

Vint owns Kevin Vint Masonry, specializing in residential homes and commercial projects in the San Diego area. The business has been insured with State Compensation since August 2000. In 2003, a Vint employee sustained a back injury and filed a claim. During the claims investigation, an audit discovered that the injured employee’s salary had been paid in cash. State Fund forwarded its findings to the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office.

The DA’s Insurance Fraud Division discovered Vint reportedly paid employees nearly $400,000 in cash wages to avoid paying workers’ compensation premiums and payroll taxes. A grand jury indicted Vint for conspiracy to commit insurance fraud and payroll tax evasion, and Vint was convicted.