10 months ago
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FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) - A Fresno antheral was arraigned connected Thursday for an alleged workers' compensation fraud strategy successful the for-profit schoolhouse helium owns, the California Department of Insurance said.
Officials accidental an probe by the Central Valley Workers' Compensation Fraud Task resulted successful the arraignment of Paul Steve Ramirez, 59. Ramirez is being accused of allegedly fraudulently billing security companies for workers' compensation voucher services and failing to supply capable grooming for those workers. Those security claims, officials say, are estimated to scope $200,000.
The Department of Insurance says Ramirez owns P. Steve Ramirez Vocational Training Centers, a backstage post-secondary acquisition instauration and Supplemental Job Displacement Benefit (SJBD) grooming provider. He besides owns a secondary concern that offers vocational counseling.
SJBD vouchers, according to officials, would supply up to $6,000 for acquisition retraining oregon accomplishment enhancement to injured workers who are incapable to instrumentality to work. Ramirez allegedly gained entree to the students astatine his counseling halfway and referred them to his acquisition institution.
However, officials accidental an probe by the Central Valley Workers' Compensation Fraud Task Force, led by the Fresno County District Attorney's Office and the California Department of Insurance, recovered these students did not conscionable the minimum qualifications for the programme and helium besides engaged successful prohibited referrals for services. Despite this, Ramirez was recovered to person collected SJDB voucher funds related to 37 antithetic students implicit a three-year period.
The California Department of Insurance says Ramirez's actions led to galore of these injured workers not having a prime successful the programme they were enrolled successful and galore of them not receiving the payment due to the fact that of unsuccessful completion of a people they should person ne'er been placed into.
Ramirez was charged with 11 felony counts arsenic a result, and the lawsuit is being prosecuted by the Fresno County District Attorney's Office, officials say.
