Los Angeles: On Feb. 8, 2010, former City of Los Angeles employee, 51-year-old OlgaZavala-Edwards, was convicted of workers compensation and insurancefraud related to charges of filing a false claim for compensation. Zavala-Edwards, who was a 24-year employee of the Los Angeles PoliceDepartment (LAPD), was a civilian assigned to the Departments JailDivision as a supervisory detention officer. She was discharged fromher job on August 3, 2009.
LAPD investigators from the Workers Compensation Fraud CoordinationUnit, Special Operations Division, began investigating Zavala-Edwardsworkers compensation claim involving an alleged industrial/on-the-jobinjury shortly after the claim was submitted. The investigationcentered on how the alleged Nov. 2, 2008, injury occurred, the actuallocation where Zavala-Edwards claimed she was injured and whatinformation she had given to her treating physicians. Theinvestigation was conducted in partnership with the Los Angeles CountyDistrict Attorneys Healthcare Fraud Division, Workers CompensationDivision of the Citys Personnel Department and the Los Angeles CityAttorneys Office.
The investigation revealed that Zavala-Edwards did not tell the LAPD,her doctors or investigators with the City Attorneys Office that herinjury actually occurred at her home before she reported to work onNov. 2.
As part of the criminal conviction for workers compensation fraud, thecourt ordered Zavala-Edwards to pay full restitution to the City of LosAngeles in the amount of $7,654.71 for all salary and medical benefitsthe City paid as part of her fraudulent claim. In addition,Zavala-Edwards was sentenced to 100 hours of community service andplaced on two years of summary probation.