TRENTON
– Attorney General Anne Milgram announced
that a Morris County man has been indicted
for allegedly failing to provide workers’
compensation insurance coverage to his employees.
As a result, the State of New Jersey was forced
to pay out more than $253,000.
According
to Criminal Justice Director Deborah L. Gramiccioni,
Mack Stevens, 40, of Lake Hopatcong, was charged
with fourth-degree failure to provide workers’
compensation coverage.
According
to the indictment, between Oct. 7, 2003 and
April 28, 2009, Stevens, the owner of Accurate
Paving, an unincorporated paving company in
Lake Hopatcong, failed to provide workers’
compensation insurance coverage to his employees.
On Oct. 8, 2003, an Accurate Paving employee
suffered serious injuries as a result of an
accident that occurred while he was on the
job. The employee needed surgery and a three-month
stay in the hospital. It is alleged that,
because Stevens did not carry workers’
compensation insurance coverage, the New Jersey
Uninsured Employers’ Fund was forced
to pay $253,770 to the employee for expenses
that he incurred as a result of the accident.
The
investigation by the Division of Criminal
Justice determined that as recently as April
2009, Accurate Paving and Mack Stevens still
did not have workers’ compensation coverage
in place.
Detective
Gary O’Brien and Deputy Attorney General
Mark Kurzawa conducted and coordinated the
investigation. Kurzawa presented the case
to the state grand jury.
An
indictment is merely an accusation and the
defendant is presumed innocent until proven
guilty. Fourth-degree crimes carry a maximum
sentence of 18 months in state prison and
a criminal fine of $10,000.
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