Resident Of Wolfeboro Pleads Guilty To Defrauding Federal Employee Disability Benefit Program

   CONCORD, N.H. – Mark McLaughlin, 49, of Wolfeboro, has pleaded guilty in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to making false statements to obtain federal employee disability benefits, announced United States Attorney John P. Kacavas.

McLaughlin admitted in annual reports he submitted to the Office of Workers’ Compensation Program (“OWCP”) that from June 2007 to July 2013, he failed to disclose income he received while working for a landscaping business. Consequently, he fraudulently received disability payments totaling $119,649.79 from the OWCP.

The United States Department of Labor, (“OWCP”) provides benefits to employees of the United States Postal Service who are totally or partially disabled due to injuries sustained during the course of their employment.  While receiving the benefits, a disabled employee is required to report all employment for which he received a salary, wage or payment of any kind.  This information is important to the OWCP because the amount of the disability benefit paid to the employee depends on the employee’s ability to earn money from other types of work.

McLaughlin is scheduled to be sentenced on April 30, 2104.  He is facing up to five years in prison and a $250,000.00 fine.

            The case was investigated by the United States Postal Service, Office of Inspector General, and the United States Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Bob Kinsella.