Buffalo Man Hit With Comp Fraud Charges

ALBANY, N.Y., Dec. 14 -- The New York State Insurance Fund issued the following news release:

New York State Police arrested a 58-year-old Buffalo man who claimed to be unable to work due to a back injury, but that allegedly didn't stop him from driving for a car rental company while he collected workers' compensation benefits from the New York State Insurance Fund.

Jeffrey Lucca faces felony fraud charges of violating the New York State Workers' Comp. Law and grand larceny following his arrest on December 9.

A joint investigation by NYSIF's Division of Confidential Investigations, the New York State Insurance Department Frauds Bureau and the New York State Workers' Compensation Fraud Inspector General's Office found that Mr. Lucca received $6,613 in illegal benefits while allegedly working.

Investigators estimated potential future savings in the case to be more than $400,000 if the alleged fraud had gone undetected and Mr. Lucca had continued to receive benefits.

Authorities said Mr. Lucca, who resides in Buffalo, NY, collected workers' compensation payments for a back injury he reported in 1975 while employed with Atlas Steel Casting Company in Buffalo. Although he returned sworn statements to NYSIF that he had not returned to any form of work, investigators said they found him allegedly working beyond the limits of his disability as a driver for a Buffalo car rental agency.

Criminal complaints and indictments are accusations only. Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

NYSIF, created as part of the Workers' Compensation Law of 1914, is New York's largest workers' compensation insurance carrier. By law, NYSIF is a competitive insurance carrier that sells workers' compensation and disability benefits insurance to any employer doing business in New York State. Approximately 175,000 employers hold NYSIF workers' compensation insurance policies, constituting about 31 percent of the market, while 61,000 employers maintain active disability benefits policies.

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