Texas Business Owner Must Pay $50K in Restitution in Work Comp Fraud Case

The owner of a South Texas truck stop has been ordered to pay $50,000 in restitution after pleading guilty to workers’ compensation fraud.

James Russell Williams owns George West Truck Stop pleaded guilty in a Travis County District Court, according to the Texas Department of Insurance, Division of Workers’ Compensation’s (DWC).

On April 4, 2014, the husband of one of Williams’ employees was injured at the truck stop while changing a tire. After the injury, Williams claimed the husband was his employee and Texas Mutual Insurance Co. paid the claim. But a later investigation found that the man was not an employee of the company and that Williams had filed a fraudulent claim.

The Division of Workers’ Compensation’s (DWC) prosecution unit obtained the indictment against Williams.

DWC’s Deputy Commissioner of Compliance and Investigations, Debra Knight says workers’ compensation fraud affects the whole system.

Members of DWC’s prosecution unit are embedded in the Travis County District Attorney’s Office and are paid by DWC to fight fraud across Texas.

Source: TDI-DWC