“Workers’ Comp is designed to assist people who have been injured on the job and need time away from work to heal.  It’s not supplemental income.  Those who commit Workers’ Comp fraud are committing a crime and I applaud the investigators who see these cases through to prosecution and sentencing,” -CSLEA President Alan Barcelona

SAN RAFAEL— On November 12, 2021, the California Department of Insurance (CDI) announced that Douglas Satre, 38, of Santa Rosa pleaded guilty to insurance fraud and paid more than $14,000 in restitution and additional fines to the California Department of Insurance. Satre was sentenced to a year of probation, 30 days in jail, required to perform 40 hours of community service and complete a theft awareness class.

Satre allegedly slipped and fell in a bathroom while working for a telecom company in San Rafael. He then filed a workers’ compensation insurance claim and began receiving temporary total disability payments as well as treatment through multiple medical professionals across Napa and Marin Counties.

The Marin County District Attorney’s Office filed charges against Satre after a CDI investigation revealed that Satre was collecting disability payments while also working for a new company despite telling medical professionals he was unable to work due to the severity of his injuries, even using a cane at his appointments.

In total, Satre collected disability payments and a paycheck from his new employer for more than six months.