Ventura County firefighter pleads guilty to workers’ comp fraud

VENTURA, Calif. -- A Ventura County firefighter pleaded guilty to insurance fraud on Wednesday.

District Attorney Gregory D. Totten announced that Perry Adam Lieber, 34 from Santa Barbara, pled guilty to felony workers’ compensation fraud, admitting a special allegation that the theft totaled more than $100,000 in losses to the victims.

Back in June, Lieber was charged with two felony counts of workers’ compensation fraud and one felony count of perjury.

During his guilty plea, Lieber admitted making false and material misrepresentations for the purpose of obtaining disability benefits that he was not entitled to during his workers’ compensation claim.

York Risk Services and the County of Ventura were victims and alleged to have lost approximately $148,177.

The maximum penalty for the violation is five years in jail, as well as a fine of up to double the amount of fraud, or approximately $296,354.

At the time the case was filed, the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office Workers’ Compensation Fraud Unit obtained a temporary restraining order seizing Lieber’s bank accounts and other assets in connection with the fraud investigation.

As a condition of Lieber’s plea, a portion of these assets will be liquidated to pay victim restitution and criminal fines.

Lieber is scheduled to be sentenced on January 6 in Ventura County Superior Court.