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TRENTON - Attorney General
Anne Milgram and Criminal Justice Director
Gregory A. Paw announced that a carpenter
formerly employed by the Scotch Plains Board
of Education was sentenced today for defrauding
the state’s workers’ compensation
insurance fund.
According to Insurance Fraud
Prosecutor Greta Gooden Brown, Michael Belshaw,
41, of Farmingdale, was ordered by Superior
Court Judge Francis P. DeStefano in Monmouth
County to serve two years probation. Belshaw
paid $4,579 in restitution to Bergen Risk
Managers, Inc. prior to sentencing. The
sentence is pursuant to Belshaw’s
March 10 guilty plea to a criminal accusation
charging him with insurance fraud.
In pleading guilty before
Judge DeStefano, Belshaw admitted that between
Jan. 13 and March 9, 2006, he submitted
a false statement to Bergen Risk Managers,
Inc., a company which assists in the administration
of workers’ compensation for the Scotch
Plains Board of Education. Belshaw falsely
indicated that due to a back injury, he
was unable to perform the duties of his
job as a carpenter for the school board.
Belshaw further admitted that during the
same period of time, he was employed doing
renovations for a private homeowner. As
a result of the false statement, Belshaw
wrongfully collected $4,579 in workers’
compensation insurance benefits.
State Investigator Eric Barnes and Deputy
Attorney General Susan Kase were assigned
to the investigation. Kase represented the
Office of Insurance Fraud Prosecutor at
the sentencing.
This case was referred to OIFP by the Special
Investigative Unit of Bergen Risk Managers,
Inc. which initially uncovered the fraud
and assisted OIFP in the investigation.
Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Brown thanked
Bergen Risk Managers for its assistance
in this matter.
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