Rick Rossi, a former bus driver from the Cabrillo Unified School District in San Mateo, CA, has been convicted of worker’s compensation, auto, and insurance fraud by a San Mateo County Judge.
Rossi, aged 60, claimed to have suffered an injury to his right eye after having a co-worker blast a high-pressure water hose at him in 2015. Rossi purportedly said that the injury left him with severe headaches and blurry vision, making it difficult to drive his vehicle. As recompense, Rossi requested worker’s compensation benefits from the Cabrillo Unified School District.
Now, after four years, Rossi’s claims have been proven false by Keenan and Associates, a private insurance investigation firm. The San Mateo County Judge has found Rossi guilty of one count of worker’s compensation insurance fraud and a second count of auto insurance fraud. Rossi has been sentenced to 60 days of jail time and three years of felony probation; his sentence begins on September 14th, 2019.
Additionally, Rossi must also pay a $60,000 fine to the Cabrillo Unified district. He has already paid out $56,000 of the total $60,000.
Investigators from Keenan and Associates took the case file to Regency Investigations, a private investigation firm, to look into the discrepancies in Rossi’s medical reports and claims.
According to his Regency Investigation file, surveillance showed Rossi to be driving long distances and hitting targets at the local shooting range. Keenan and Associates officials asserted that the evidence showed Rossi was able to work.
Investigators submitted the claim to Keenan’s Special Investigation Unit, which then submitted it to the San Mateo County’s District Attorney’s office.
“The complaints from Rick Rossi in the medical reports did not reveal any medical evidence based upon his complaints” states Stacey Gunn in an email. Gunn is Keenan and Associates assistant vice president and is responsible for their SIU/Fraud unit.
Gunn also stated, in the same email, that all of Rossi’s health claims were ‘exaggerated.’ “He alleged he was having migraines and double vision but all of the test[s] did not indicate it was so and was all normal,” the email read. Gunn concluded that Rossi lied under oath when questioned about his ability to drive a vehicle.
Some on-scene investigators even claimed that Rossi pointed a gun at them. Gunn also reported that the investigator sent to visit Rossi’s house claimed that “[Rossi] jumped into his car and proceeded to follow [him].” However, this claim was not further investigated, nor were any charges filed. Although having declined to comment, Cabrillo Unified representatives have confirmed that Rossi has not been in their employment “for several years.”
The Keenan and Associates investigation against him also revealed an insurance claim he recently made to be false. Rossi had filed another insurance claim, asserting that his parked car was hit. However, Google Earth images from five months ago had proven that the damage existed before the incident he claimed happened.
When asked for comment, Rossi’s attorney, Joshua Davis, maintains that “[Rossi] took responsibility and is thankful to put this matter behind him, especially for his family.”
Rossi’s case number is 18-NF-009704-A.
If you are accused of workers’ compensation fraud, you should hire a lawyer. Contact us today for a consultation to set yourself up for the best possible outcome to your case.
Source: 8.16.19 Rick Rossi Workers Comp