A Los Angeles restaurant worker, receiving workers’ compensation benefits for alleged injuries that happened to him while working in a commercial kitchen, was arrested after investigators discovered he was working at two restaurants performing the very type of work he told his doctor he could not. 

Fernando Gallegos, 43, received  $8,890 in  workers’ compensation benefits over a nine-month period in which time California Department of Insurance investigators report he was working two jobs at two different restaurants.

Gallegos faces five felony counts of workers’ compensation fraud and one felony count of perjury.

“Workers’ Compensation is in place for a reason,” said California Statewide Law Enforcement Association President Alan Barcelona.  “It is there to help those who truly cannot work due to an injury on the job, so that they may continue to support themselves and/or their families.  Abuse and fraud is not tolerated, and our members who are investigators with the California Department of Insurance will track down those who fraudulently collect workers’ compensation.”

Gallegos is accused of perjuring himself at a deposition by failing to report his other jobs. He is also accused of making false statements to his doctors by claiming he was too injured to work.