A former Westminster police officer claimed over $600,000 in staff’ compensation for a head harm that allegedly prevented her from working, however in the meantime was hitting the slopes at Mammoth Mountain, visiting Disneyland and dancing at Stagecoach, prosecutors allege.
Nicole Brown, 39, of Riverside was charged with 15 felonies associated to staff’ compensation insurance coverage fraud, in line with the Orange County district legal professional’s workplace. If convicted of all expenses, she faces as much as 22 years in jail. She may additionally lose pension credit she accrued after the date the felony was dedicated if she’s convicted.
Prosecutors stated Brown suffered a minor lower to her brow whereas making an attempt to handcuff an uncooperative suspect in March 2022. An emergency room physician launched her to work with none restrictions the identical day.
However Brown didn’t return to work for greater than a 12 months.
A number of days after the harm, she was was recognized with extreme concussion syndrome and positioned on whole non permanent incapacity depart, prosecutors stated.
“Ms. Brown just isn’t responsible of this what the prosecution has alleged,” her legal professional, Brian Gurwitz, informed The Instances. “She was severely injured on responsibility and intends to battle these allegations.”
Brown is accused of fraudulently accumulating greater than $600,000 from the town whereas out on depart, which included her full wage — tax-free — and medical bills.
Prosecutors allege her stepfather, 57-year-old Peter Gregory Schuman, labored with Brown to orchestrate the fraudulent staff’ compensation scheme. Schuman is a Buena Park-based legal professional who practices staff’ compensation protection on behalf of insurance coverage firms, prosecutors stated.
He’s within the means of acquiring authorized illustration, Gurwitz stated. Schuman didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
Throughout her time on incapacity, Brown stated she was unable to work attributable to complications, dizziness, sensitivity to mild and noise, issues processing ideas and phrases and an incapacity to work on a display, prosecutors stated.
Nonetheless, authorities allege that in April 2023, she was seen dancing and ingesting on the Stagecoach Music Pageant — alongside greater than 75,000 pageant attendees, with loud music and shiny lights and temperatures in extra of 100 levels.
Her presence on the pageant was reported to the Westminster Police Division, which referred the case to the district legal professional’s workplace for investigation.
The D.A.’s workplace says it then found that, whereas on depart, Brown allegedly went snowboarding or snowboarding at Mammoth Mountain and Massive Bear, ran two 5K races, went to 3 soccer conferences, visited Disneyland, performed golf and took on-line programs with an area college.
Three days after prosecutors say she was at Stagecoach, Brown had a Zoom assembly to debate what duties she may carry out as a police officer.
Through the assembly, Brown was sitting in a darkish room and claimed she couldn’t have a look at the display, prosecutors stated. Schuman did all the speaking and acknowledged she was unable to do paperwork and should not be capable to do telephone calls. After the assembly, Brown was admitted to an in-patient heart for traumatic mind accidents, prosecutors stated.
She has been charged with 9 counts of creating a fraudulent assertion to acquire compensation, six counts of creating a fraudulent insurance coverage profit declare and one enhancement of committing an aggravated white collar crime over $100,000, all felonies. Her stepfather has been charged with one felony rely of creating a fraudulent insurance coverage profit declare and one felony rely of aiding, abetting, conspiring with and soliciting an individual in illegal act, in line with court docket information.
Brown attended the police academy at Rio Hondo Faculty and was sworn in as a Westminster Police Officer in February 2019, in line with reporting by Behind the Badge. Throughout her time on the division, she labored as a homeless liaison officer serving to join individuals experiencing homelessness to sources, the outlet reported.
