St. Lucie West Services District Employee Found Guilty for Insurance Fraud and Grand Theft
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Florida League of Cities Special Investigation Unit program continues to crackdown on workers’ compensation fraud
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 8, 2008
CONTACT: Patti Piller
(850) 222-9684
TALLAHASSEE — Concetta Marie Prianti, a garbage collector for the St. Lucie West Services District, was found guilty on two counts of workers’ compensation fraud and grand theft. Prianti was sentenced to six months in jail, 10 years probation and ordered to repay over $37,000 in restitution.
The conviction/arrest resulted from a referral by the Florida League of Cities Special Investigation Unit (SIU) to the Division of Insurance Fraud and prosecuted by Assistant State Attorney Michael Linn.
The Florida League of Cities is committed to fighting fraud because the Department of Financial Services estimates that Florida’s residents pay an additional $1,400 in insurance premiums annually due to fraud.
“The work of the SIU is essential because workers’ compensation is a necessary protection provided by employers,” said Royal Palm Beach Mayor David Lodwick, Chairman of the Board for the Florida Municipal Insurance Trust. “Thousands of injured Floridians count on this coverage for their medical expenses and to help offset their lost wages.”
“When people lie about injuries, pad their insurance claims or otherwise defraud the workers’ compensation program it amounts to theft and it hurts those who really need the money,” Chairman Lodwick said.
Since its inception in 1999, the SIU has identified, investigated and reported numerous potential cases of suspected insurance fraud, abuses and non-existent injuries to the state’s Division of Insurance Fraud. Its work has, among other accomplishments, led to 39 arrests, with cost savings totaling more than $4.6 million.
The Florida League of Cities, Inc., is the official organization of the 412 municipal governments (cities, towns, villages and chartered counties) in Florida, designed and established to meet and serve the needs of Florida’s municipal officials.
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