Marching - and Drumming - to the Beat of a Workers' Comp Scam

The Brooklyn DA's office arrested four NYC Transit Authority workers for trying to bilk the Workers' Compensation system of thousands of dollars for "injuries they either never sustained or grossly exaggerated." For instance, there's Valerie Scroggins, a bus driver who said that she suffered a shoulder injury last September. Between September and January of this year, she received $13,348.98 in checks for her injury. But in November, she took a fateful trip to Europe.

MTA investigators actually followed Scroggins to Amsterdam and Dublin as she went on tour with her band ESG - Scroggins is the drummer - and filmed her playing "drums for an hour or more and on every song the band played, doing things very similar to actions she told her employers she could not perform," per the Brooklyn DA's press release. Also: "After the concert in Dublin, she autographed the cover of an ESG compact disc the investigator had bought and posed for pictures with him."

Train operator Louis Guadagni said he injured his back and leg on the job, and said he couldn't lift heavy objects. However, investigators caught him carrying a beer keg at the Key Food he owns in Brooklyn. Ricardo Yolas, a car inspector, suppoedly hurt his back, but actually worked at his business in the Poconos, cleaning hotel rooms. And then there's Steven Sanfilippo, a bus driver who said his back and neck injuries prevented him from eating and bathing without help, who was found picking up dry cleaning, carrying bags, and working at his realty office. The local TV stations showed footage of some of the transit workers going about their business - pretty interesting!

While Yolas' attorney did not comment, Guadagni, Sanfilippo and Scroggins' representation say they are innocent and genuinely injured. Scroggins' lawyer said, "The injured arm is actually lame on the tape. It actually is injured. It wouldn't be prudent for someone who can't properly operate a bus to operate a bus."

MTA NYC Transit President Howard Roberts said, "Employees who fraudulently collect Workers’ Compensation payments are stealing from NYC Transit and their fellow employees. The money they are stealing could otherwise go to improvements in employee safety and customer services. I congratulate the NYC Transit Law Department’s Special Investigations Unit and District Attorney Hynes and his staff on this case.”

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jen Chung in News on May 10, 2007 11:38 AM

Comments [rss]

BARBARA

GIVE THE TRANSIT WORKERS A BREAK;;; I DONT WORK FOR THE TRANSIT;; BUT HONESTLY I HAVE TO DEAL WITH ALOT OF PAIN ALSO;; THERE ARE GOOD DAYS & VERY BAD DAYS;;

BY READIN THE NEWS ABOUT THESE WORKERS & YOU GUYS CATCHIN THEM ;; THEY MIGHT OF HAD GOOD DAYS;; BUT C'MON GIVE THEM ALL A BREAK;

THEY MUST ALL HAVE FAMILIES & ETC;;; AND HURTIN THEM LIKE THIS IS NOT FAIR TO THE TRANSIT PEOPLE

PLEASE I KNOW WHAT PAIN IS LIKE; BELIEVE ;; THERE R REALLY BAD DAYS FOR ME & A COUPLE OF GOOD DAYS;;; LET THEM LIVE THERE LIVE;; WILL YA;;; GIVE THEM ALL A BREAK;

LET THEM ALL HAVE THERE JOBS BACK;; ;; IF ESPECIALLY THERE ALL GOOD DAM WORKERS;;;

WHAT KIND OF CITY DO WE ALL LIVE IN;;;

ALLL HONEST PEOPLE;;; IF U WANT THE MONEY BACK FINE ;; BUT GIVE THEM THE JOBS BACK AS NORMAL PEOPLE;;; ITS ALL EMBARRASIN FOR WHT U ALLL DID TO THESE WORKERS;;;

there all inocennt

hayne YOUR NOT FAIR;; THERE INOCENNT

Reality Czech

Most Americans are just looking for a way to "get over". So what's so surprising?

smitty

ESG was awesome back in the day.

smitty

ESG was awesome back in the day.

Megs

ESG are awesome! Just listen to 'A South Bronx Story.' You won't be disappointed.

brian goes to hollywood

It's like bang the drum slowly,

only the drum's a chick.

huh

They should also investigate those doctors who certified that these workers were too disabled to perform their duties.

I'm wondering if it's similar to the NYPD. Somewhere in the range of 1/3 of NYPD cops retire on a tax-free pension due to disability. Studies have shown that there is a very small group of doctors consistently approving these disability claims. I guess you can go doctor-shopping when you need disability verification.

craig

i'd go to amsterdam to see esg, too... them ladies da FUNK.

bqe

Look up ESG on wikipedia, evidently they're 'famous'

Bubba

And when will someone investigate the MTA? I'm not making excuses for Scroggins IF the allegations turn out to be true but the MTA is horribly mismanaged and there never seems to be any consequences for the MTA's utter lack of disregard for the ridership and taxpayers.

Still Not Amused

LOl. I saw this story on the news yesterday after someone told me about it at work . I look at it this way, The MTA has the money to "PAY" there investigators to do their jobs . Naturally you expect that if you pay someone for there efforts they will produce ! That's exactly what happened here, These investigators did their jobs and uncovered a one of the countless scams run by unscrupulous individuals . You cheat the Labor board, Not the MTA, You cheat the Government, Not the MTA !

not surprised

Tip of the iceberg... MTA workers are some of the laziest, sleaziest and most incompetent employees in this city. Hope these guys sit in jail for a while.

Bubba

"MTA investigators actually followed Scroggins to Amsterdam and Dublin as she went on tour with her band ESG."

I'd like to see the investigators' expense reports for this investigation...