COLUMBUS – A Washington Court House man pleaded guilty to felony workers’ compensation fraud Monday for working while receiving more than $141,500 in benefits from the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC).
Jeffrey Janson, 70, pleaded guilty to the fourth-degree felony in Franklin County Common Pleas Court. A judge sentenced him to six months in jail, suspended for three years of probation, and ordered Janson to pay restitution of $141,578 to BWC.
Janson was previously convicted of felony workers’ compensation fraud in July 2010.
“Most people learn a lesson after a conviction for workers’ compensation fraud,” said BWC Administrator/CEO Stephanie McCloud. “Obviously that’s not the case with Mr. Janson, who tempted fate again and was caught a second time by our investigators.”
BWC’s Special Investigations Department discovered Janson working as a semi-truck driver while receiving benefits for a workplace injury. Further review of his bank records proved he was, in fact, working for four additional employers during the same time period.
In other news, BWC secured five fraud-related convictions in September, bringing its 2020 calendar year total to 57. They include a case involving a Logan County man receiving benefits while coaching high school sports teams.
BWC investigators found Dennis Martin, of Bellefontaine, working as varsity baseball coach and as an assistant coach for girls varsity basketball at Botkins High School from Oct. 27, 2017 to May 7, 2018. During this same time, Martin was collecting disability benefits from BWC. A judge credited Martin for time served and terminated the case. Martin has paid restitution of $7,082 to BWC.
On Sept. 23, Jessica Holston, of Dayton, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor theft in Franklin County Common Pleas Court for collecting more than $3,200 in disability benefits from BWC while working as a home health aide for Wellcare Home Health from March 13, 2017 to May 30, 2017. A judge sentenced Holston to 180 days in jail, suspended for three years of probation, and ordered her to pay $3,242 in restitution to BWC.
To report suspected workers’ compensation fraud, call 1-800-644-6292 or visit bwc.ohio.gov.
Established in 1912, the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation is the exclusive provider of workers’ compensation insurance in Ohio and serves 249,000 public and private employers. With nearly 1,800 employees and assets of approximately $28 billion, BWC is the largest state-run insurance system in the United States. The mission is to deliver consistently excellent experiences for each BWC customer every day. For more, visit www.bwc.ohio.gov.
