Edward Paul Verdin, 36, is one slippery character that couldn’t make his way out of a sticky situation and pled guilty to mail fraud and money laundering violations in Lafayette, La.

Verdin of Franklin, La., was employed as a claim adjuster for the Louisiana Oilfield Contractors Association (LOCA), a self-insured worker’s compensation group in Lafayette. Part of Verdin’s responsibilities there included reviewing worker’s compensation cases for possible fraud. If the case appeared to be legitimate, Verdin would authorize payment; if the case appeared suspicious, Verdin would hire a private investigation (PI) firm to investigate the validity of the claim, and when the claim was resolved, he authorized final payment to the PI firm for their expenses.

In July 2007, Verdin created a fictitious private investigation firm, Legal Risk Management Consultants (LRMC). For approximately two years, Verdin used this company to bill LOCA for fictitious investigative activities that he authorized in his capacity as claim adjuster. He then deposited the authorized funds into an account he opened for his faux PI firm.  The investigation also revealed that Verdin had another business aspiration, and used some of the fraudulently obtained funds to purchase a health club called Vital Fitness for $35,000.

In total, Verdin fraudulently authorized $297,772.09 in expenses to be paid to LRMC, but Louisiana Oilfield Contractors Association was able to stop payment on four cases, resulting in a net total loss to LOCA of $285,395.09. Verdin faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, a $250,000.00 fine, or both for his slimy scandal.

See also: Faux Fraud