XPost: alt.law-enforcement, alt.government.employees, oc.general
XPost: sac.politics, talk.politics.medicine

https://www.foxla.com/news/ex-oc-cop-caught-drinking-dancing-stagecoach- charged-fraud

ORANGE COUNTY, Calif. - A former Westminster police officer and her
attorney stepfather have been charged with multiple felonies in connection
with a fraudulent workers' compensation scheme totaling over $600,000.

The former officer claimed complete disability due to a head injury but
was seen participating in various activities, including attending
Stagecoach, skiing, and running races, according to a statement from the
Orange County District Attorney's Office.

What we know:
Nicole Brown, 39, of Riverside, a former Westminster police officer, faces
15 felony charges, including nine counts of making a fraudulent statement
to obtain compensation and six counts of making a fraudulent insurance
benefit claim. She is also charged with a felony enhancement for
committing an aggravated white-collar crime over $100,000.

Her stepfather, Peter Gregory Schuman, 57, of Buena Park, a licensed
attorney specializing in workers' compensation defense, has been charged
with one felony count of making a fraudulent insurance benefit claim and
one felony count of assisting, abetting, conspiring with, and soliciting a person in an unlawful act.

The charges stem from claims Brown made regarding a head injury she
allegedly sustained on March 21, 2022, while handcuffing a suspect.
Despite being released back to work without restrictions by an emergency
room doctor, Brown was diagnosed with severe concussion syndrome on March
30, 2022, and subsequently placed on Total Temporary Disability (TTD).

Brown's alleged fraudulent claims cost the city of Westminster over
$600,000. This amount included her full salary, which was tax-free, and
her associated medical expenses.

The backstory:
When police officers are injured on duty and unable to work, they may be entitled to Total Temporary Disability benefits.

During the first year of temporary disability due to a work-related
injury, officers receive their full, tax-free salary, which is paid by the employing city, county, or state agency.

If the officer remains temporarily disabled after one year, they
transition to regular workers' compensation TTD benefits, receiving two-
thirds of their average weekly wage, subject to a statewide maximum.

These benefits can last up to 104 weeks within a five-year period.

Dig deeper:
While on TTD, Brown consistently complained of headaches, dizziness, sensitivity to light and noise, difficulty processing thoughts and words,
and an inability to work on a computer or engage in any screen time.

However, an investigation revealed significant discrepancies between her claimed disability and her actual activities.

On April 29, 2023, Brown was seen by several individuals at the Stagecoach Music Festival, an event with over 75,000 attendees, loud music, bright
lights, and temperatures exceeding 100 degrees. She was observed dancing
and drinking.

This behavior was reported to the Westminster Police Department, which
then escalated the case to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office
for a workers’ compensation fraud investigation.

Three days after the festival, Brown attended an interactive process Zoom meeting to discuss potential duties she could perform as a police officer.

During this meeting, Brown claimed she was unable to look at the screen
and sat in a dark room.

Her stepfather, Peter Schuman, attended the meeting and spoke on her
behalf, stating she was unable to do paperwork and was uncertain if she
could handle phone calls due to her inability to process words or
thoughts.

Following this meeting, Brown was admitted to an in-patient center for individuals with traumatic brain injuries.

The investigation further uncovered that three days after her alleged
injury, when she called out sick, Brown attended an AYSO soccer conference
in San Diego, where she participated in multiple sessions involving
PowerPoint presentations.

While on disability, Brown also ran in two 5K races, went snowboarding
and/or skiing in Big Bear and Mammoth, attended three additional AYSO
soccer conferences, went to baseball games, played golf, visited
Disneyland, and took online courses with a local university.

What's next:
If convicted of a felony, Brown will forfeit any pension credits she
accrued back to the date the felony was committed.

She faces a maximum sentence of 22 years in state prison if convicted on
all counts.

Schuman faces a maximum sentence of eight years in state prison if
convicted. As a California-licensed attorney, he may also face
disciplinary action from the State Bar of California.


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