2 Job Agency Officials Accused of Fraud, Theft
The president and vice president of a Lakewood employment agency have been arrested on suspicion of workers’ compensation fraud and grand theft, authorities said Tuesday.
Joann Idleman, 64, and Sidney Bradpiece, 63--president and vice president, respectively, of Preferred Personnel of California--were arrested Monday at their homes by state fraud investigators and sheriff’s deputies.
Preferred Personnel allegedly misclassified its employees when submitting premiums to the workers’ compensation center, investigators said. They said the company, through Idleman, failed to report significant employee injuries to its workers’ compensation insurance carrier.
Bail was set at $2 million for Idleman and $814,000 for Bradpiece. If convicted, Bradpiece and Idleman could face up to seven years in state prison and be fined up to $1 million.
The arrests followed a three-year investigation, officials said.
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