Man Accused of Working as Bartender While Claiming Benefits for 20-Year-Old Injury

Wednesday, December 23, 2015 | 0

An upstate New York man claiming workers' compensation benefits for a 20-year-old injury collected more than $24,000 while working as a bartender, state officials charge.

James Hooks Jr., 56, of Elmira, is charged with third-degree grand larceny, third-degree insurance fraud, first degree falsifying business records and fraudulent practices under workers' compensation legislation, all felonies, the New York State Inspector General's Office announced Monday.

He allegedly collected $24,584 in benefits while working as a weekend bartender at Ramsey’s Place in Elmira, The Leader newspaper of Corning, New York reports.

An investigation by the Inspector General’s Office allegedly found that Hooks, reportedly injured while on the job at a grocery store in 1994, repeatedly claimed he was not employed while working as a bartender since at least 2013.

Following a separate investigation, John L. VanRensselaer, 53, also of Elmira, is charged with fourth-degree grand larceny and two counts each of first-degree falsifying business records and fraudulent practices under workers’ compensation law -- again, felonies.

He allegedly received more than $1,000 in benefits, based on a 1983 work-related injury, after he told officials he had shut down his auto garage and had been unemployed since 2009. In fact, he was working as a self-employed mechanic through early 2014, according to the charge.

Both men were arraigned in Elmira City Court, to appear in court again Feb. 19.