1st DCA Upholds Restitution Order Against Florist Convicted of Fraud

A California appellate court upheld a restitution order imposed against a flower shop owner for workers’ compensation fraud. Case: People v. Smith, No. A153490, 07/16/2018, unpublished. Facts and procedural history: Cynthia Ann Smith owned and operated a flower shop in Menlo Park. In 2015, a multi-agency task force conducted a fraud investigation into Smith's business, Cindy’s Flowers and Gifts. The investigators determined Smith had failed to pay correct workers' compensation insurance premiums and related payroll taxes over the course of several years. Prosecutors cha...