SAN DIEGO — San Diego Plumber Fined: Daniela G. Birdwell, a Spring Valley-based plumbing contractor and owner of GPS Plumbing, has been ordered to pay $1,030,062 in restitution. The penalty follows her guilty plea in a workers’ compensation premium fraud case, according to the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office.
Sentencing and Penalties
As part of the plea agreement, Birdwell will serve two years of probation. She must also complete 320 hours of community service and pay $10,000 per month toward restitution.
District Attorney Summer Stephan commented on the case:
“Employers who engage in premium fraud are not only breaking the law, but they also gain an unfair advantage over their competitors. Our Insurance Fraud Division remains committed to holding these businesses accountable, protecting workers, and ensuring a level playing field.”
Discovery of the Fraud
The fraud was discovered during a routine audit by the State Compensation Insurance Fund. Investigators noticed major differences between payroll figures reported to the Employment Development Department (EDD) and those reported during the company’s insurance audits. San Diego Plumber Fined
As a result, the State Fund found millions of dollars in unreported payroll between June 2016 and May 2021.
The Investigation and Prosecution
Following the audit, the State Fund’s Special Investigation Unit submitted its findings to both the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office and the California Department of Insurance. Consequently, this led to Birdwell’s prosecution and sentencing.
The Broader Impact of Insurance Fraud
Insurance fraud remains a serious and costly issue. Nationwide, it costs consumers between $80 billion and $90 billion annually. In California, it accounts for nearly $15 billion each year. Notably, it ranks as the second-largest economic crime in the state, just behind tax evasion.
📚 Read More on Workers’ Comp and Insurance Fraud:
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- Public Adjuster Pleads Guilty to Another Scam, This One on a Church in Georgia
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