FFL holder convicted of fraud

[justherenow]

This totaly shocked me, iv been to the store this guy owns several times, but never bought from them.

Newark gun store owner convicted of false workers comp claims | newarkadvocate.com | The Newark Advocate

COLUMBUS -- A U.S. District Court jury in Columbus has convicted a Newark man of making false statements in order to receive federal work injury compensation from May 2005 through September 2008.



The verdict against Lawrence E. Waldren, 55, of Newark, was announced at the conclusion of a trial that began Jan. 25 in front of U.S. District Judge Algenon L. Marbley, according to a news release.

According to trial testimony, Waldren received more than $2,000 a month in tax-free benefits, plus college coursework paid for by the Department of Labor as a result of a disability sustained while he was employed by the Transportation Security Administration at Port Columbus International Airport. As a condition of Waldren receiving the benefits, he had to disclose any work activity and other sources of income he had. Waldren owned Waldren's Hunting Supplies in Newark, yet he did not disclose the ownership of the gun store.

After a bond hearing Tuesday, Marbley ordered Waldren released pending sentencing, with additional conditions that he and his family members remove all weapons from their home and that Waldren cannot use his federal firearms license to dispose of any firearms.

Making false statements to obtain federal employee compensation is punishable by up to five years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000 and up to three years of supervised release.

Marbley will set a date for sentencing. The sentence could include an order of restitution

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[dukalmighty]

Wow they finally caught somebody that was milking the government out of money even tho he was self employed

[justherenow]

He owned a store, it was the size of a 7-11, it was fully commercial and operational. Alot of the police in town went there for their firearms needs as well. I never knew the guy had a job with the TSA, I thought he only owned a store. My thinking, your working for the federal goverment, you have an FFL, you get injured, do you not think the goverment is going to know about your other work?

[Hopyard]

Per the story--"According to trial testimony, Waldren received more than $2,000 a month in tax-free benefits, plus college coursework paid for by the Department of Labor as a result of a disability sustained while he was employed by the Transportation Security Administration at Port Columbus International Airport."

Uh, there has to be more to this, I'd think. Why should his ownership of the store matter whether or not he gets disability payments he earned by being injured while working at Port Columbus?

It sounds like the real issue maybe wasn't the disclosure or lack thereof, but exaggeration of the extent of disability and whether or not he could engage in useful work. Still, he deserves compensation for his injury, if it was real.

Notwithstanding the conviction, on the surface this sounds a bit like adding insult (and conviction) to injury.

[CBXMan]

More than likley, the big crime was not reporting the income from the store, not making additonal income. As with a lot of Federal charges, the cover up is more serioius than the crime.

[dukalmighty]

If you have outside income it's okay,until you go past it and then they start reducing your work comp benefits,he not only failed to notify(and they send you paperwork asking if you have any other income etc. which you sign)he probably made enough money that they would have taken away his benefits finding that he had returned to full time work

[P7fanatic]

Hmmmmm...

Dumb or dumber?

[Sig 210]

Workers comp cases are often looked at because of widespread
fraud. I have a friend who is a private detective: He is often hired to investigate worker's comp claims. One guy claimed that he could not walk and came to court in a wheelchair. The perp was later video-taped by the private detective. He was carrying a 90 pound bundle of shingles up a 40 foot ladder while working on a roofing job. The guy got a 3-5 year vacation in the crossbar hotel.

[SIGguy229]

however, I find it a little obtrusive that the family members have to remove their firearms from the home...no other options? Like securing them in a safe? According to the story, they weren't charged/tried/convicted of anything...

[Stevew]

Looks to me like it was workers comp, not disability.