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New York Times
22-05-2025
- New York Times
An Officer Said She Was Disabled. Prosecutors Said She Ran, Skied and Danced.
Nicole Brown, a police officer in Orange County, Calif., told her bosses in 2022 that she could no longer perform her duties after she sustained a head injury on the job. But according to prosecutors, whatever had happened to her didn't prevent her from running in road races, skiing or snowboarding, and dancing at a music festival while she illegally collected more than $600,000 in workers' compensation. This week, Ms. Brown, 39, who worked for the Westminster Police Department, was charged with 15 felonies related to workers' compensation insurance fraud, according to the Orange County District Attorney's Office. Her stepfather, Peter Gregory Schuman, 57, of Buena Park, Calif., was charged with two felonies charging him with conspiring with Ms. Brown. He is a lawyer who specializes in defending employers and insurance companies against workers' compensation claims. Ms Brown was charged with nine felony counts of making a fraudulent statement to obtain compensation; six felony counts of making a fraudulent insurance benefit claim; and one felony enhancement of committing an aggravated white-collar crime worth over $100,000, court records show. Her lawyer, Brian Gurwitz, said on Thursday that Ms. Brown's on-duty injury 'continues to cause her severe limitations in her daily life.' 'She intends to defend against these charges vigorously in court,' he said. Mr. Schuman was charged with one felony count of making a fraudulent insurance benefit claim and one felony count of assisting, abetting, conspiring with and soliciting a person in unlawful act, records show. It was not immediately clear if he had a lawyer and he did not immediately respond to a phone message seeking comment. Ms. Brown was sworn in as a police officer in early 2019. About three years later, in March, 2022, she suffered a 'minor abrasion to her forehead while attempting to arrest and handcuff an uncooperative suspect,' prosecutors said. She complained to her commander that she had a headache and was feeling dizzy, but an emergency room doctor who examined her that day released her and said that she could return to work without restrictions, prosecutors said. After she called out sick for several days, they added, Ms. Brown was given a diagnosis of severe concussion syndrome and placed on temporary disability leave. An investigation by the district attorney's office found that three days after the injury, in March 2022, when Ms. Brown — who volunteered as a youth soccer coach — had called out sick, she went to an American Youth Soccer Organization conference, in San Diego. Prosectors noted that she had attended multiple sessions that featured PowerPoint presentations. While she was out for the next year, prosecutors said, Ms. Brown fraudulently collected the compensation payments from the city. That included her full salary, which was tax-free, and all medical expenses. During her leave, Ms. Brown said that it was physically impossible for her to do her work because of headaches, dizziness, sensitivity to light and noise, an inability to work on a screen, and problems processing thoughts and words, according to prosecutors. But several people who knew she was on disability leave spotted her dancing and drinking on April 29, 2023, at the Stagecoach Music Festival, a country music celebration, prosecutors said. The festival, held in the Coachella Valley in the Colorado Desert region of Southern California, attracted about 75,000 people. It was a carnival-type atmosphere with plenty of loud music and bright lights, and temperatures hovering close to, or above, 100 degrees, prosecutors said. Someone reported the fact that she had attended the festival to the Westminster Police Department. It referred the matter to the district attorney's office, which opened the investigation. When Ms. Brown took part in a Police Department Zoom meeting three days after the festival to discuss what duties she could perform as a police officer, she said that she was unable to look at the screen, prosecutors said, adding that Mr. Schuman was also on the call to speak on her behalf. Mr. Schuman said in the meeting that Ms. Brown could not to do paperwork, and that he was uncertain that she could handle phone calls because of her inability to process words or thoughts, the authorities said. Later, Ms. Brown was admitted to an inpatient center for individuals who have a traumatic brain injury, they said. The inquiry into Ms. Brown also found that while out on disability, she ran in two five-kilometer races, and went snowboarding or skiing in Big Bear and Mammoth, two popular Southern California ski resorts, prosecutors said. She also is accused of going to more youth soccer conferences, attending baseball games, playing golf, visiting Disneyland and taking online courses, according to the investigation. Ms. Brown could up to 22 years in prison and a loss of some of her pension if convicted of all charges. Mr. Schuman could face up to eight years in state prison and could be disciplined by the State Bar of California if convicted.
Associated Press
21-05-2025
- Associated Press
California cop was partying at festival while collecting $600,000 for fake injury, officials say
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A Southern California police officer was caught partying at the Stagecoach Music Festival while collecting more than $600,000 in workers' compensation for a head injury that prosecutors allege was faked. Westminster officer Nicole Brown, 39, was charged Monday with 15 felonies of workers' compensation and insurance fraud, the Orange County District Attorney's office said. She faces up to 22 years in prison if convicted. Brown was on the job March 21, 2022, when she received a 'minor abrasion' to her forehead while trying to arrest an uncooperative suspect, according to prosecutors. She told her watch commander that she had a headache and was feeling dizzy. Though an emergency room doctor who examined her that day released her back to work without restrictions, she called out sick for several days and was diagnosed with a severe concussion about a week after the initial injury. She was placed on Total Temporary Disability, which made her eligible to receive her full salary for up to a year and two-thirds of her salary after that. Later, investigators would find out that during the three days she called out sick after her injury, Brown went to several soccer conferences in San Diego. In the following year while collecting disability, she also ran in two 5K races, went snowboarding or skiing in Big Bear and Mammoth, attended baseball games, played golf, went to Disneyland and took online courses with a local university, prosecutors allege. 'Mrs. Brown suffered a significant head injury when she was on duty,' her attorney Brian Gurwitz said, 'and she intends to vigorously fight these allegations.' According to prosecutors, some of Brown's ongoing symptoms that she reported during this time were: headaches, dizziness, sensitivity to light and noise, and inability to look at a screen. The district attorney's office began their investigation into potential fraud after she was seen by several people 'dancing and drinking' in April 2023 at the Stagecoach Music Festival, an annual country music festival held in the Coachella Valley with 'loud music and bright lights everywhere.' This was reported to the Westminster Police Department. Three days after the festival, Brown and her stepfather attended a Zoom meeting where she sat in a dark room and said she was unable to look at the screen. Her stepfather said she still could not do paperwork or take phone calls. After the meeting, she was admitted to an inpatient center for traumatic brain injury. Prosecutors say Brown collected more than $600,000 from the city of Westminster, which includes her full salary and medical expenses. Her stepfather Peter Schuman, 57, of Buena Park, has also been charged with two felonies related to insurance fraud and helping commit a crime. He is a licensed attorney in California and faces discipline from the state bar, prosecutors said. Schuman does not have an attorney listed and could not be reached for comment. Brown was sworn into the Westminster Police Department in February 2019, according to Behind the Badge, a publication reporting on law enforcement news in California.
Daily Mail
21-05-2025
- Daily Mail
Female cop who claimed $600k while saying she was too sick to work caught in disgraceful lie
A former California police officer was caught dancing and drinking at a music festival while claiming $600,000 in disability, according to officials. Nicole Brown, 39, of Riverside, is facing a total of 15 felony counts for allegedly stealing the large sum in workers' compensation payments. Brown, formerly with the Westminster Police Department, claimed to be completely disabled due to a cut to her forehead she suffered while handcuffing a suspect. Prosecutors in Orange County say an emergency room doctor released her to work that same day without any restrictions. After calling out sick for days after the incident in 2022, she was diagnosed with severe concussion syndrome and signed off work, as well as being on total disability. Authorities say she never returned to work for over a year, and that she fraudulently collected over $600,000 from the city while on leave. This included her full salary, which was tax-free, and all of her medical expenses, according to prosecutors. As she collected the disability payments, authorities allege that she was seen dancing and drinking at the Stagecoach Music Festival. Her attendance was reported to Westminster Police Department, who then referred the case to the district attorney's office. Prosecutors say that there investigation uncovered she had ran in two 5K races and went snowboarding or skiing in Big Bear and Mammoth. She is also said to have attended three soccer conferences, attended baseball games, played golf, and gone to Disneyland. While claiming disability, Brown complained of headaches, dizziness, sensitivity to light and noise, and an inability to work a computer or phone. Three days after she was allegedly spotted at Stagecoach, Brown had a Zoom call to discuss what duties she could actually perform as a cop. Prosecutors say during this call that Brown claimed she couldn't look at the screen and was sitting in a dark room. Her stepfather Peter Gregory Schuman, a Buena Park-based lawyer who works in workers' compensation, spoke on her behalf. Schuman allegedly did all of the talking for her, saying she couldn't do paperwork, and was unsure if she could use her cell phone to make calls. Following the meeting Brown, alongside Schuman, was allegedly admitted to an in-patient center for individuals who have a traumatic brain injury. For his part, Schuman is being charged with a count of making a fraudulent insurance claim and another assisting Brown. If he is convicted he faces eight years in a state prison and as attorney may suffer further disciplinary action from the State Bar of California. Brown is facing a maximum sentence of 22 years in a state prison if she is convicted on all counts. Her attorney Brian Gurwitz told The LA Times: 'Ms. Brown is not guilty of this what the prosecution has alleged. 'She was seriously injured on duty and intends to fight these allegations.' Gurwitz also said that Schuman is still in the process of finding legal representation. has attempted to contact him directly.
Miami Herald
20-05-2025
- Miami Herald
Cop stole $600K in disability as she ran 5Ks and skied, California officials say
A California police officer accused of running 5Ks and skiing while out on paid disability leave has been charged, prosecutors say. The former Westminster police officer, Nicole Brown, 39, of Riverside, was charged with 15 felonies stemming from the alleged workers' compensation fraud that totaled more than $600,000 in stolen benefits, the Orange County District Attorney's Office said in a May 20 news release. Her stepfather, Peter Gregory Schuman, 57, of Buena Park, was also charged with two felonies and accused of 'conspiring with his stepdaughter to orchestrate the fraudulent workers' compensation scheme,' prosecutors said. Brown's attorney, Brian Gurwitz, denied the charges in a May 20 email to McClatchy News, saying she's not guilty of 'what the prosecution has alleged.' 'She was seriously injured on duty and intends to fight these allegations,' Gurwitz said. Attorney information for Schuman was not immediately available. Work injury While Brown was working as an officer with Westminster Police on March 21, 2022, 'she suffered a minor abrasion to her forehead' as she tried to arrest a suspect, prosecutors said. Brown told her watch commander her injury left her with a headache and dizziness, according to prosecutors. When she was examined by an emergency room doctor that day, they 'released her back to work without restrictions,' prosecutors said. She called 'out sick for several days,' then March 30, 2022, she 'was diagnosed with severe concussion syndrome,' prosecutors said. The doctor who issued the diagnosis took her off work, and Brown was placed on Total Temporary Disability, according to prosecutors. Total Temporary Disability benefits Officers who cannot work after being injured on the job are entitled to 'Total Temporary Disability benefits under the workers' compensation system,' prosecutors said. Should an officer be put on temporary disability as a result of a work injury, 'the officer will receive their full salary, not just a percentage, for up to one year,' prosecutors said. During that first year, the officer's pay is covered 'by the city, county, or state agency that employs the officer,' prosecutors said. If the leave is extended longer than a year, benefit receivers get two-thirds their average weekly wage under regular workers' compensation TTD benefits, prosecutors said. Such benefits can last up to 104 weeks, according to prosecutors. Brown received more than $600,000 in Total Temporary Disability benefits from the city of Westminster, 'which included Brown's full salary – tax-free – and her medical expenses,' according to prosecutors. While she was out on leave, Brown consistently complained of 'headaches, dizziness, sensitivity to light and noise, problems processing thoughts and words, and an inability to work on the computer or do any screentime,' prosecutors said. Officer seen at music festival More than a year after her injury, Brown was seen by several people attending the Stagecoach Music Festival on April 29, 2023, prosecutors said. At the time, 'she was off work on total disability as she was dancing and drinking' at the festival, which had more than 75,000 attendees 'with loud music and bright lights everywhere and temperatures in excess of 100 degrees,' according to prosecutors. Three days later, Brown attended a virtual meeting over Zoom to discuss the potential 'duties she could perform as a police officer,' prosecutors said. Her stepfather 'attended the meeting and advocated for Brown,' prosecutors said. In the meeting, Brown said she could not 'look at the screen' as she sat in a dark room, prosecutors said. Schuman spoke on her behalf throughout the entirety of the meeting, stating 'she was unable to do paperwork, and was uncertain that she could do phone calls due to her inability to process words or thoughts,' according to prosecutors. Following the meeting, 'Brown was admitted to an in-patient center for individuals who have a traumatic brain injury,' prosecutors said. Workers' compensation fraud investigation The district attorney's office 'launched an investigation into potential workers' compensation fraud' in Brown's case after the Westminster Police Department got a report she attended the music festival, according to prosecutors Prosecutors said they learned Brown attended an American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO) soccer conference in San Diego, 'three days after the injury' when she was out on sick time, prosecutors said. During the conference, prosecutors said 'she attended multiple sessions where PowerPoint presentations were utilized.' Then, while she was out on disability, Brown engaged in multiple athletic activities, including running two 5K races, 'snowboarding and/or skiing in Big Bear and Mammoth' and playing golf, prosecutors said. She also attended three AYSO soccer conferences, went to baseball games and took a trip to Disneyland, prosecutors said. Prosecutors said they also learned Brown 'took online courses with a local university.' Former officer charged Following the investigation, Brown was charged with 'nine felony counts of making a fraudulent statement to obtain compensation, six felony counts of making a fraudulent insurance benefit claim, and one felony enhancement of committing an aggravated white collar crime over $100,000,' according to prosecutors. Schuman, a licensed attorney practicing workers' compensation law, was charged 'with one felony count of making a fraudulent insurance benefit claim and one felony count of assisting, abetting, conspiring with and soliciting a person in unlawful act,' prosecutors said. If convicted as charged, Brown faces up to 22 years in prison, while her stepfather faces a maximum sentence of eight years in prison, according to prosecutors. Should Brown be convicted of a felony, she 'will forfeit any pension credits she accrued back to the date the felony was committed,' prosecutors said. Westminster is about a 30-mile drive southeast from Los Angeles.
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Yahoo
Motorcyclist dead after crash in Westminster: Police
DENVER (KDVR) — Police are on the scene of a deadly crash, according to a post on X from the Westminster Police Department. Police said the crash happened around 7:40 p.m. at 92nd Avenue and Perry Street. Three Denver Nuggets star players on injury report Police said that a motorcycle and a vehicle occupied by a single driver crashed, and the motorcyclist was pronounced dead at the scene. An update was provided around 9:30 p.m. on Saturday that preliminary information suggests the two people involved in the crash seemed to know each other and were driving back from an event. The driver of the vehicle, 79, hit the motorcyclist, 77. Police are investigating whether alcohol was a factor in the crash. 92nd Avenue is closed from Raleigh Street to Newton Street, while investigators are on the scene. It is advised to use different routes. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
