A retired LAPD officer was arrested under charge of Workers’ Compensation fraud, following an investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department Special Operations Division, Workers’ Compensation Fraud Unit.
The officer, Terry Johns, joined a controversial program known as Deferred Retirement Option Plan (DROP) in July 2014. A month later he filed a Workers’ Compensation claim for a bad back. Various investigating elements of the LAPD working with the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office uncovered probable cause that Johns subsequently undertook activities inconsistent with his claims.
According to the LAPD Media Relations, it’s believed he defrauded the city in excess of $200,000. The day after being arrested Johns was released on a $160,000 bond.
The DROP program was the subject of an LA Times investigation which found that nearly half of all participants who entered from July 2008 – July 2017 inevitably took injury leaves. It was conceived as a device for retaining veteran officers at no extra cost to the city, but it has been proven not to be cost neutral. DROP has paid out more than $1.6 billion to recipients since it’s inception in 2002.
Johns is due in court on June 21 – he faces up to 12 years and six months if convicted.
Orange County attorney John Rosenbaum has been a trusted legal source in southern California for decades. If you are in need of an exception Workers Compensation or Personal Injury attorney, contact our offices today to find out what we can do for you.
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