Many think that all of workers’ comp fraud consists of patients pretending to be seriously injured and then going bull riding the next day, scamming their employer and their insurance company. There are many different levels and kinds of fraud that don’t receive as many headlines but are still just as dangerous to the workers’ comp system.

Juan C. Garcia, the owner of Construction Forever LLC, has been charged by the Florida Department of Financial Services’ Division of Insurance Fraud (DIF) with workers’ comp insurance fraud. He provided false and misleading information in order to lower workers’ comp premiums for his company.

Investigators found that he underreported his payroll costs by $150,000 so the workers’ comp policy he was working with would not cover all of his workforce’s needs. He concealed his real $2 million payroll with a system using check cashing stores.

Garcia cost his insurance company and the Florida Workers’ Compensation Joint Underwriting Association more than $350,000. He also cost his employees, who could have been left out to dry if they had gotten seriously injured. Some fraud is just between an “injured” worker, their employer and the insurance company. The kind of fraud Garcia was charged with could have potentially left a slew of his employees vulnerable.

He is going to be charged with a first-degree count of workers’ compensation fraud, grand theft, and organized scheme to defraud while his accomplice will be charged with second-degree counts.