Connecticut Woman Arrested for Workers’ Comp Benefits Fraud

A Newtown, Connecticut, woman was arrested and charged with illegally collecting workers’ compensation benefits while being employed as a supervisor of Pupil Personnel Services for the Town of New Fairfield Board of Education.

Ann Marie Cordisco was arrested by inspectors from the Workers’ Compensation Fraud Control Unit in the Office of the Chief State’s Attorney on a warrant charging her with one count of fraudulent claim or receipt of benefits, one count of larceny in The first degree by defrauding a public community and one count of perjury.

According to the arrest warrant affidavit, in September 2018, while working for the Town of New Fairfield Board of Education, Cordisco was injured while exiting a school bus. Cordisco claimed she sustained injuries to her left foot, ankle and knee.

She was placed on temporary total disability (TTD) and began receiving TTD benefits from her employer through Connecticut Interlocal Risk Management Agency (CIRMA), a nonprofit claims administration and risk management service that manages workers’ compensation claims for Connecticut municipalities, school districts and local public agencies.

TTD benefits are wage replacement monies for those who qualify under the program. During that period of benefits, the recipient is considered to have zero work capacity and must inform their employer of any improvements in their injuries. They also are required to report any income beyond the benefits provided.

From September 26, 2018, through April 29, 2019, Cordisco received workers’ compensation benefits in the amount of $57,903.00. Surveillance videos and documentation showed activities that were not consistent with Cordisco’s claimed injuries.

Cordisco was released on a $10,000 non-surety bond and is scheduled to appear in Danbury Superior Court, G.A. No. 3, on September 23, 2021.

The case will be prosecuted by the Workers’ Compensation Fraud Control Unit of the Office of the Chief State’s Attorney in Rocky Hill. The charges are merely accusations and she is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Source: Connecticut State Division of Criminal Justice