Busted on Fairway Five

Saturday, February 10, 2007 | 0

By Tom Reitze

Our subject was out on a total disability claim, from a back injury. That disability claim was paying our subject enough money to maintain a rather high-level lifestyle, which included a late-model luxury car, country club membership, and a gated house in the hills. There was only one problem with this happy scenario  our subject was a fraud, lying through his teeth.

His golf swing was not going to give Tiger Woods a scare at Augusta anytime soon. But it was a beautiful morning on his country club's course and you could see our subject was having a very good time. No pain, no hesitation, no problems swinging or picking up the ball.

The only reason someone might photograph this fellow's swing was due to a certain professional disability claim. You see, most people who are actually totally disabled, are not usually found on a beautiful Saturday morning getting in 18 holes at the golf course. It was my job to film this happy game of golf and bring our fraudster's country club days to an end.

The problems of getting film on a country club course are not insubstantial. You can't walk around, hang out at the tees or greens, and they kick you out if you try (which I did, and they did). Thank goodness they like to build houses near golf courses, and houses require streets, streets which provide views onto fairways and tees. Before the polite ejection, I was able to get a bit of the layout of the course and acquire a score card with a map. I was then able to map out my scenic overlooks.

Once the preparations were complete it was a matter of following the claimant to his country club, estimating his tee time and waiting in spot number one. There he was. No trouble bending as he teed up the ball. No trouble with the practice swings. OK, there was our first sign of trouble  a nasty shank off to the right. He was never going to find that ball. He took a "mulligan", bent, teed, took a practice swing and, lo and behold, a much better shot, short rough on the left, almost 200 yards out. He was happy, and, thanks to telephoto technology, so was I.

The morning passed into early afternoon and at no point did our tireless golfer show any sign of strain, fatigue, restriction of movement, bravely hidden back pain, or crippling disability. His game appeared to improve a bit as the day wore on (though still nothing to write Golf Digest about).

The report and film arrived with our subject's benefactor, and it appeared that certain changes in lifestyle were about to occur. Naturally like any benefactor scorned and cheated, our client was taking action. No more free country club lunch for our subject.

Tom Reitze is the president of DMA Investigations.DMA Investigations (http://www.dmainvest.com) is an independent investigations company with 45 offices in 15 states, specializing in investigations of possible workers' comp fraud and abuse.

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