Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Woman sentenced for workers comp fraud stemming from alleged Las Vegas Hilton injury

A Maryland woman was sentenced to 2 ½ years in a Nevada state prison for attempting to defraud her employer’s workers’ compensation insurer of $20,000 while at a professional conference at the Las Vegas Hilton, announced Nevada Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto Wednesday.

Tamara Thompson-Johnson, 45, was ordered to pay $20,000 in restitution, $4,000 in extradition costs and serve 2 ½ years in a Nevada prison after pleading guilty to making false statements to obtain workers’ compensation benefits from her employer, officials say.

According to officials, Thompson-Johnson claimed she was injured Oct. 15, 2006 at the Las Vegas Hilton when a vase, dislodged by an intoxicated person, fell from its pedestal. Although she refused medical treatment at the scene, she reported to security that she had been struck by the vase and checked herself into a hospital.

The Nevada General Attorney’s office says Thompson-Johnson hired a lawyer and requested a claim for compensation from the Las Vegas Hilton. Her claim was denied when surveillance footage of the incident clearly showed that the vase narrowly missed Thompson-Johnson.

Although her lawyer stopped representing her Thompson-Johnson filed another claim through her employer’s workers compensation carrier Travelers Insurance, claiming the vase struck her on the back of her head, neck and back, leaving her disabled. As a result she was paid $20,000 on her fraudulent claim.

According to the Nevada Attorney General’s office, Thompson-Johnson was extradited twice from Maryland when she failed to appear for court hearings in Las Vegas.

She pleaded guilty to one felony count of making false statements or representations to obtain benefits and was sentenced Nov. 10.

Thompson-Johnson served five months in custody before being granted probation. She was also ordered to pay $20,435 in full restitution to Travelers Insurance, $4,005 in extradition costs and to reimburse the state $1,000 for costs in connection to the case and was ordered to disclose her conviction to current and future employers and insurers.

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