Bus Driver Guilty of Workers’ Comp Fraud

A Metropolitan Transportation Authori-ty (MTA) bus driver has pleaded guilty to workers’ compensation insurance fraud after an investigation by the California Depart-ment of Insurance (CDI) Fraud Division.

Renee Terri Henderson, 40, of Marina Del Rey, Calif., was found to have submitted fraudulent claims during the investigation. She entered her plea on Oct. 21 and now faces a sentence of 90 days in jail and three years probation. She also must pay restitution of $15,245.

According to CDI investigators, Henderson filed several workers’ compensation claims with the MTA when she was employed as a bus operator. As a result of claims she filed on March 21 and March 22, 2003, Henderson received Total Temporary Disability (TTD) benefits from March 22, 2003, to Dec. 22, 2003, collecting $386.65 every week.

A criminal complaint was issued by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office on Sept. 27, 2005, and the CDI investigation revealed that around December 2000, Henderson also was employed with ING/Financial Network as a part-time clerk and in June 2003, she became a full-time employee. Henderson denied working for any other employer other than MTA.

CDI Fraud Investigators arrested Henderson on Oct. 12 on eight counts of insurance fraud. Henderson was charged with three counts of 1871.4(a)(1) Insurance Code; workers’ compensation misrepresentation, three counts of 550(b)(3) Penal Code; fraudulent claims and two counts of 664-118(a) Penal Code; attempted perjury leading to the arrest warrant. Bail was set at $130,000.