N.Y. Woman Arrested in Work Comp Scam

A 49-year-old Nassau County, New York woman was arrested for fraudulently collecting $20,000 in workers’ compensation benefits, the New York State Insurance Department reported.

Maria Escobar, of Valley Stream, was charged with fraudulent practices following her arrest by the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office.

According to Francis Hunt of the Insurance Department’s Frauds Bureau, Escobar collected workers’ comp benefits from the New York State Insurance Fund after claiming she suffered burns, as well as leg and back injuries, while employed as a hotel attendant in 2003. She is charged with accepting the benefits while operating Tieras Centro Americano, a restaurant in Jamaica, Queens.

If she is convicted, she could be sentenced to up to four years in prison.