Sentencing and Charges
A former U.S. Postal Service employee from Delaware has been sentenced to probation after defrauding taxpayers of nearly $100,000 in workers’ compensation benefits. Lakisha Hines, 46, was sentenced on Thursday to three years probation and ordered to pay almost $94,000 in restitution after pleading guilty to one count of federal employee compensation fraud.
Injury and Compensation
Hines was injured on the job in 2006 and began receiving workers’ compensation benefits. For many years, these benefits were her only source of income.
Resuming Work
Prosecutors revealed that Hines resumed working in 2016 but failed to inform the U.S. Department of Labor. She falsely claimed for six years that she had no other income besides her workers’ compensation benefits.
Plea and Sentence
Hines pleaded guilty to federal employee compensation fraud in March. The charge is punishable by up to five years in prison. However, federal prosecutors recommended probation to allow Hines to maintain her current employment and gradually repay the restitution. They acknowledged that she might not be able to fully repay the owed amount.
Current Jobs
Federal prosecutors emphasized that a probation sentence would enable Hines to continue working at her current jobs, helping her to “chip away” at the restitution. This approach is intended to balance accountability with the practicalities of repayment.
