Columbia Falls baker guilty of work-comp fraud

HELENA — A Helena jury on Thursday found Velma Faye Irvin of Columbia Falls guilty of felony theft of workers’ compensation benefits. 

Irvin injured herself tripping over her dog at home but tried to pass it off the injury as work-related.

Irvin, 51, was a baker at the Montana Veterans Home in Columbia Falls.  

On May 3, 2013, Irvin filed an injury report with Montana State Fund, claiming she had hurt her arm and shoulder while making pizza at work that morning.  

After filing the claim and seeking medical treatment, Irvin returned to work in a light-duty capacity until July 3, when she quit. 

The following month, the State Fund received reports from Irvin’s former co-workers that she had actually injured herself by tripping over her dog at home, not as a result of an on-the-job accident.

Montana State Fund paid out $3,130 in work-comp benefits to Irvin between April 28 and Aug. 20, 2013. 

Had the fraud not been detected early in the claim, State Fund would have had to pay out much more if the crime had gone unnoticed, according to a news release from the Montana Department of Justice.

“Yesterday’s verdict is proof positive that Montanans take work comp theft seriously, no matter how large or small an amount of money is involved,” Attorney General Tim Fox said in the news release. “This win is due to the good and cooperative work of Assistant Attorney General Mary Cochenour, Division of Criminal Investigation Agent Butch Huseby, and State Fund Investigator Shane Shaw, and I thank them for their efforts to ensure our public dollars are carefully accounted for.”

Irvin’s sentencing will be Jan. 8, 2015, before District Court Judge James Reynolds in Helena.