Cop faking disability for $600K visited Disneyland, ran races, CA lawsuit says
Nicole Brown, of Riverside, claimed she was unable to resume working as a Westminster police officer but visited Disneyland, ran two 5K races, went skiing and golfing — among other recreational activities — as she received worker's compensation benefits, according to a lawsuit brought by Westminster officials on July 8.
One of Brown's former co-workers, a fellow Westminster officer, had seen her at the Stagecoach Music Festival, an annual festival headlined by country artists in the Coachella Valley, and 'came forward' to report her in April 2023, a complaint filed in Orange County Superior Court says.
He saw Brown 'dancing and drinking alcoholic beverages in a setting with loud music and bright lights, activities which were inconsistent with her claimed disabilities,' the filing reads.
Brown, 39, and her stepfather, Peter Gregory Schuman, 57, a licensed California attorney, were criminally charged in connection with the theft, the Orange County District Attorney's Office announced in May, McClatchy News previously reported.
The district attorney's office said Schuman, of Buena Park, conspired 'with his stepdaughter to orchestrate the fraudulent workers' compensation scheme.'
Brown was previously represented by attorney Brian Gurwitz, who denied the allegations against her in a statement to McClatchy News in May.
She is now represented by attorney Thomas W. Kielty, who told McClatchy News on July 11 that she 'is innocent of the charges brought against her and unequivocally denies any involvement in a scheme to defraud the City of Westminster.'
Schuman did not return a message left by McClatchy News seeking comment. His law license is still active as of July 11, according to his State Bar of California profile, which has a notice about his pending criminal case.
Westminster is suing Brown and Schuman on claims of fraud, conspiracy, false claims and restitution.
The city wants to collect the more than $600,000 in benefits Brown is accused of stealing, officials said in a July 9 news release.
A head injury while on-duty
Brown began working as a Westminster police officer in June 2018 as a 'Homeless Liaison Officer,' the lawsuit says.
She was injured on the job while trying to arrest a suspect in March 2022, according to prosecutors, who said she 'suffered a minor abrasion to her forehead.'
After she was diagnosed with the injury at a hospital, she reported to her watch commander that she was experiencing a headache and dizziness, according to the complaint.
An emergency room doctor 'released her back to work without restrictions,' the filings says, but 'she called out sick for several days thereafter.'
Brown maintained she had a concussion and was granted work leave, according to the complaint.
She was put on 'total temporary disability due to her claims of, including but not limited to, not being able to be in bright sunlight, not being able to tolerate loud noises and not being able to look at electronic (device) screens,' the complaint states.
Three days after she first called out sick, the lawsuit accuses Brown of attending multiple soccer conferences in San Diego.
Later that year, she was seen looking at her phone screen and was spotted at a 'well-lit, loud restaurant,' the complaint says.
Shortly after her fellow officer caught her at Stagecoach Music Festival, Brown continued to fake her disability during a work assessment meeting, according to the complaint.
She was joined by Schuman, who appeared as her legal representative and asserted Brown was unable to complete paperwork or receive messages left over the phone, the complaint says.
In the meeting, Brown said she 'could not look at the screen, wore glasses for 'photophobia' and seemed unable to carry on a conversation,' the filing states.
Brown was ultimately charged with nine counts of making a fraudulent statement to obtain compensation and six counts of making a fraudulent insurance benefit claim, according to the Orange County District Attorney's Office.
She also faces a felony enhancement of 'committing an aggravated while collar crime over $100,000,' the district attorney's office said in May.
Kielty said in an emailed statement that working as a police officer 'was Ms. Brown's lifelong calling, one she fulfilled with honor and integrity for over three years,' adding that she 'sustained serious, career-ending injuries in the line of duty.'
'Ms. Brown is confident that the evidence will exonerate her of any wrongdoing and restore her reputation as a valued member of this community,' Kielty also said.
Schuman is charged with one count of making a fraudulent insurance benefit claim and one count of assisting, abetting, conspiring with and soliciting a person in unlawful act, according to officials.
In a statement, Westminster Mayor Chi Charlie Nguyen said Brown 'has betrayed the public trust.'
'Our residents count on us to protect their taxpayer dollars and ensure that employees who are actually injured receive the support they need to recover,' Nguyen added.
Through the lawsuit, the city seeks an unspecified amount in damages to be awarded at trial and restitution.
Westminster is about a 30-mile drive southwest from Los Angeles.
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