Ohio Business Owner Convicted for Failure to Keep Work Comp Coverage

A Harrison, Ohio, woman has been convicted of fraud in a Hamilton County courtroom for failure to maintain workers’ compensation insurance coverage to protect her employees in the event of a workplace injury or illness, the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation reported.

Linda Bommer, owner of R&W Swimming Pools, located at 10923 St. Rt. 128 in Harrison, pleaded guilty to one fourth degree felony of workers’ compensation fraud and is scheduled to be sentenced on March 28.

In October 2008, the BWC Employer Fraud Team began an investigation into R&W Swimming Pools after the company’s workers’ comp policy lapsed and Bommer failed to respond to several inquiries from BWC to bring her policy into compliance. Bommer had eight claims filed against her policy during the time which she was operating the business under a lapsed policy and she currently owes approximately $73,000 in past due premiums, in addition to non-compliant claims costs.

When a BWC investigator met with Bommer in January 2009, she acknowledged she was aware that the policy was lapsed and understood that she must re-establish and maintain coverage. Bommer continued to make no effort to resolve the issue and she was indicted on June 9, 2010.

Source: Ohio BWC