Man indicted for disability runaround

Man indicted for disability runaround

By Laura Crimaldi | Saturday, September 25, 2010 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Local Coverage

A former state Department of Correction officer will be arraigned next month on charges he ran a marathon and half-marathan in Florida while collecting more than $56,000 in workman’s compensation, officials said.
John Cloutier, 45, of East Freetown, told medical providers he could not stand for long periods of time or do strenuous activities that may aggravate his injury after hurting himself on the job in July 2008, said Attorney General Martha Coakley.
“Mr. Cloutier seriously violated the public’s trust by knowingly faking an injury for a long period of time in order to receive benefits he was not entitled to, all on the taxpayers’ dime,” Coakley said. “Mr. Cloutier competed in a marathon and half-marathons while claiming to be on disability.”
Acting on anonymous tips, investigators found Cloutier competed in a half-marathon and marathon at Disney World in January 2009 and completed another half-marathon in September 2009, Coakley said.
In March, a state Department of Industrial Accidents judge ruled Cloutier became ineligible for disability payments for participating in one of the January races, Coakley said.
The case was referred to Coakley after that ruling, and Cloutier was indicted yesterday. He is accused of taking more than $56,000 in disability payments since January 2009 and is due to be arraigned in Suffolk Superior Court on Oct. 26.
Cloutier did not return messages seeking comment. Cloutier was terminated from his $62,111-a-year job at the Massachusetts Treatment Center in Bridgewater on July 1, said DOC spokeswoman Diane Wiffin. He had worked as a correction officer since 1997.
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