Former U.S. Postal Service Employee in Delaware Sentenced for Defrauding Workers’ Compensation System
Lakisha Hines, a former U.S. Postal Service employee in Delaware, has been sentenced to three years probation and ordered to pay almost $94,000 in restitution for defrauding taxpayers of nearly $100,000 in workers’ compensation benefits. Hines pleaded guilty to federal employee compensation fraud in March, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison.
Hines was injured at work in 2006 and began receiving workers’ compensation benefits as her sole source of income. However, in 2016 she returned to work without informing the U.S. Department of Labor and continued to falsely claim for the next six years that she had no other source of income. Despite the restitution order, prosecutors acknowledged that Hines may not be able to fully repay what she owes.
The sentencing allows Hines to keep working at her current jobs and slowly pay off her debt. Prosecutors believe that probation was an appropriate sentence considering her circumstances. The case serves as a reminder of the consequences of committing fraud against the workers’ compensation system and the importance of honesty in reporting income to government agencies.
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