Tampa Bay Times
TAMPA, Fla. — A former state corrections officer was arrested last week, accused of faking illness to collect more than $2.7 million in claims payments since 1995.
According to state investigators, David Brownell, 47, of Carrollwood, filed a workers’ compensation claim, saying that his work at Glades Correctional Institution exposed him to rats and rat feces, which gave him breathing problems and left him dependant on oxygen.
However, video surveillance over several years showed that Brownell was not oxygen-dependant. He was able to play guitar in a band, attend a concert, drive and smoke cigarettes, according to the Florida Department of Financial Services’ Division of Insurance Fraud.
Brownell turned himself in atOrient Road Jail on Nov. 28, oxygen tank in tow. He faces one count of workers’ compensation fraud, a felony. If convicted, he faces up to 30 years in prison. He was released on $50,000 bail.
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