Business owner accused of white collar crime

The owner of a Slidell company and one other individual were recently arrested on charges of workers’ compensation fraud. The two men are accused of a white collar crime and have been booked into Louisiana jails. It is not yet known how each man plans to respond to the allegations and more details could become available in the days and weeks ahead.

Authorities allege that one of the men, who owns an LLC based in Slidell, failed to maintain workers’ compensation insurance for his employees. The matter came to light after an employee sustained injuries on the job and, subsequently, tried to seek workers’ comp benefits. When that worker found out that the company did not have workers’ compensation in place, a lawsuit was filed. The result of that legal action was an order that the business owner pay nearly $62,000 in medical bills, reimbursement for mileage, unpaid indemnity benefits and legal fees.

Another man was arrested for theft. Authorities allege that he collected more than $2,000 in premium payments paid by an employer. Those payments were intended to be applied toward a workers’ compensation policy, but that outcome never took place. It is alleged that the man made efforts to convince the employer that the policy had been obtained.

As these matters move forward, both Louisiana men are facing serious criminal charges. When an individual is accused of a white collar crime, the case can become extremely complicated. Having solid legal counsel is imperative and can make the difference between a favorable outcome or a devastating blow to one’s career and finances, not to mention the risk of time spent behind bars.

Source: neworleanscitybusiness.com, “Slidell business owner faces workers’ comp charges“, Lance Traweek, Oct. 28, 2015