MADISON COUNTY MAN ARRESTED FOR WORKERS’ COMP FRAUD

A 49-year-old Madison County man who claimed a job-related injury left him unable to work was arrested Monday after investigators discovered that he was continuing to work as a truck driver.

Ronald Tornatore, of 116 Deppoliti Ave., Canastota, was arrested by New York State Police after an investigation by Thomas F. Hurley Jr. of the New York State Insurance Department’s Frauds Bureau and the New York State Insurance Fund. He was charged with insurance fraud, offering a false instrument for filing and perjury.

Investigators said Tornatore accepted $33,325 in workers’ compensation benefits after claiming a knee injury he suffered in 2005 prevented him from working. Tornatore submitted documentation and presented testimony before the Workers’ Compensation Board claiming that he had not worked in any capacity since his injury. However, investigators found that he had continued to work as a truck driver.

If he is convicted, Tornatore could be sentenced to up to seven years in prison. He was released pending a hearing in Onondaga County Court. The case is being prosecuted by the office of District Attorney William J. Fitzpatrick.