“A onetime U.S. Postal Service employee in western Minnesota has admitted to vigorously participating in dog agility events while cheating the government out of more than $100,000 in federal disability benefits by falsely claiming that a workplace injury sharply limited her time on the job.
Lisa A. Schafer, 57, of Glenwood, pleaded guilty in federal court in St. Paul last week to theft of government funds in connection with the thefts that spanned more than 3½ years until May 2019.
In exchange for her guilty plea, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said it would ask the court to spare Schafer a prison term of 10 to 16 months under federal guidelines and instead recommend probation, 109 hours of community service and full restitution. A sentencing date has yet to be set.”
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$100,000 is a lot of money that should have been diverted to those who really need it. The truth is, this is just one case that is known to the police and probably represents a small fraction of the total amount that has been unjustly dispensed. Workers’ compensation fraud not only affects those with legitimate claims but also raises the premiums for everyone under that coverage. It’s also made it more difficult for people who deserve compensation to receive their entitled benefits since cases now require further investigation due to these abuses.
If you’ve been injured at work and believe you are entitled to workers’ compensation benefits, contact Krug & Zupke, P.C. at 651-645-7746 for a free consultation or visit our workers’ compensation page for more information. We will thoroughly review your case and fight for your right to claim those benefits.
