Press Releases
12/18/2020
Juvenile Detention Officer Charged with Workers' Compensation Fraud, Larceny
An East Haven man was arrested today and charged with illegally collecting Workers’ Compensation benefits while being employed as a juvenile detention officer.
GREGORY BRUNSON, age 35, of 48 Maplevale Road, East Haven, was arrested by Inspectors from the Workers Compensation Fraud Control Bureau in the Office of the Chief State's Attorney on a warrant charging him with one count of Fraudulent Claim or Receipt of Benefits and one count of Larceny in The First Degree by Defrauding a Public Community.
According to an arrest warrant affidavit, on January 24, 2020, Gallagher Bassett, the third-party administrator of the State of Connecticut’s self-insured workers’ compensation program, sent a referral to the Office of the Chief State’s Attorney. That referral contained a detailed timeline of Brunson’s claims and medical history.
In August of 2019, Brunson, a juvenile detention officer assigned to the Bridgeport Juvenile Detention Center, claimed he injured his back in the course of his duties when attempting to restrain a detainee. He was examined by a physician and was placed on Temporary Total Disability (TTD) meaning he was considered to have zero work capacity and could not earn any outside wages without reporting it. In a period from August 24, 2019 to December 29, 2019, Brunson received $12,459.25 in TTD benefits and $1284.31 in medical costs.
While receiving TTD benefits during that time frame, Brunson failed to disclose coaching an area youth football team that traveled to Florida and entered a playoff. Brunson was observed on multiple occasions both in Connecticut and Florida engaging in physical activities that could not be performed under his TTD status.
Brunson’s case will be prosecuted at Hartford Superior Court, G.A. No. 14. He was released on a $10,000.00 non-surety bond. His next court date is December 29, 2020.
The case will be prosecuted by the Workers’ Compensation Fraud Control Bureau of the Office of the Chief State’s Attorney in Rocky Hill.
The charges against Brunson are merely accusations and he is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.