Police officer charged with collecting disability while working on FD

[NJFFSA16]

YAPHANK, N.Y. (AP) - A Suffolk County police officer has been
arrested for allegedly collecting $250,000 in disability pay while
working as a volunteer for the Bethpage Fire Department - where he
recently was made chief.
Michael Forman, 39, a 13-year veteran of the Suffolk police
force, has been out on disability since April 2003, when he
suffered a wrist injury in the line of duty, Suffolk District
Attorney Thomas Spota said Wednesday.
Forman was charged Tuesday with grand larceny and fraud for
allegedly working as a volunteer fireman responding to hundreds of
emergency calls and collecting his full police salary while telling
the police department he couldn't work because of his disability.
He claimed he was unable to perform his duties as a Third
Precinct police officer, which included driving, Spota said.
Forman, who was appointed Bethpage fire chief last January, also
was allegedly videotaped by investigators sawing down trees at his
home during his leave.
He pleaded not guilty to the charges at his arraignment in
Suffolk County court on Tuesday and was released.
His attorney, Christopher Rothemich, declined to comment on the
case Wednesday.
The Bethpage Fire Department covers about 8,000 homes in an area
of 7.8 square miles. It answered more than 1,500 calls last year,
according to its Web site, which features a picture of Forman in
his fire chief's uniform.
In a statement, the fire department said that it doesn't ask
volunteers about their personal work situations or disability
claims unless they file similar claims with the Bethpage Fire
District and that Forman didn't file such a claim.
The department called it "a personal matter" between Forman
and Suffolk County and declined to comment about the investigation
and charges.

(Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

[Acklan]

Oops!

[DaSharkie]

Dumb@ss.

Excuse me, alleged dumb@ss. :rolleyes:

[PattyV]

what makes someone think they can get away with these things?

[Bones42]

Originally posted by PattyV
what makes someone think they can get away with these things? Probably the fact that many of them do.

In a statement, the fire department said that it doesn't ask volunteers about their personal work situations or disability
claims I come from a small enough department that we usually know these things about our members. We have, in the past, stopped members from responding in those cases.


hmmmm, and some people want to claim that firefighters should be a "priveleged" class. :rolleyes:

[fireguy919]

This so could of been us. One of our members is on medical leave as a police officer from a neck injury. He told us he could still come to calls and help with little stuff. We told him he was on leave till he was back to work or had a release from his doctor. He tried plowing snow this year and was advised if he could do that he could come back to work. He stopped. But if not for a couple of us on the executive board this would of been us.

[adamkhalil]

My buddy's dad works for an insurance company and does this kinda stuff. He'll find people who take off for carpal tunnel going bowling and people with back/neck injuries going rafting or on rollercoasters or something you'd have to be amazingly stupid to do. Unbelievable how dumb some people are.