Two Charged in Separate Worker’s Comp Fraud Cases

A Costa Mesa therapist and a former food service worker from Anaheim have been charged in unrelated cases of worker’s compensation fraud, the Orange County district attorney’s office announced Thursday.

Prosecutors alleged that Dominic J. Bronell, 47, a marriage, family and child counselor, overbilled his patients’ worker’s compensation insurance companies by $50,000.

Lourdes Romero, 40, a former food service worker for a school Head Start program, is accused of collecting $5,300 for a false worker’s compensation claim she filed, the district attorney’s office said.

The charges against Bronell followed a two-year investigation by the state Department of Consumer Affairs that began in July, 1991, after a patient complained of overbilling. Bronell was charged Wednesday with committing 22 acts of insurance fraud, including allegations that he billed for services that were never performed.

When reached at his office Thursday night, Bronell said “the charges are unfounded.” He declined further comment. He is scheduled to be arraigned April 26. If convicted, Bronell faces a maximum of 10 years in prison and up to $1 million in fines.

In the second case, Romero was charged March 10 with three counts of fraud for allegedly submitting a false claim, then lying to two doctors.

Romero left her school job in January, 1993, and several weeks later filed for worker’s compensation benefits, stating that her former job caused her physical injuries and stress.

But prosecutors said Romero began working as a waitress in a restaurant shortly after filing the claim. Investigators also alleged that Romero lied to two examining physicians, telling them she was not working.

She faces a maximum of seven years in prison and $150,000 in fines. She could not be reached for comment.