Montana

People who are “money hungry” will do just about anything to become rich. (Cue visions of luxurious vacations on sandy beaches and frolicking on yachts, while gold coins rain down.) Today’s fraud spotlight shines brightly on a former Montana optometrist who may or may...

A mental health counselor in Butte, Mont., was charged with 13 counts of Medicaid fraud but made a deal with prosecutors to plead guilty to just two of the charges. Dana Trandahl admitted that she billed Medicaid for mental health counseling services never provided to...

Today’s “Fraud of the Day” is based on an article entitled, “Golfing leads to workers comp fraud conviction” published by Business Insurance. A Montana man who was videotaped lifting furniture and playing golf while collecting workers compensation benefits pleaded guilty to a charge of criminal theft and will have to pay back nearly $27,500.

The city of Butte, Montana was named after a nearby peak, Big Butte, which was referred to as “the richest hill on earth.” (Rich mineral deposits – like gold – attracted settlers to the area in the late 1800’s.) According to today’s fraud article,...

Two Montana men have been arraigned after allegedly scheming to defraud a bank of $1 million in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans. The indictment charges the men with bank fraud and with engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activity. Trevor Gene...

Trevor Gene Lanius-McLeod, 48, of Helena, Mont., thought he was justified in receiving $1 million in COVID-19 relief funds. When he filled out four applications for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans with the Valley Bank of Helena, he was certifying that everything he put...

Paying workers “under the table” to avoid paying the IRS is not unusual, but it is illegal. In fact, it is considered to be tax fraud, which is a felony. A Montana man recently found out how high the stakes are for getting caught for...

A former state employee recently pleaded guilty to attempting to fraudulently obtaining workers’ compensation from his employer for a knee injury that he did not actually receive on the job.

After a lifetime of working, Doyle Pearson was ready to retire and do all the things retirees get to do. A little fishing, gardening, maybe some golf or simply enjoying some time with his wife, Virginia. So, he went to apply for his Social...

Workers' compensation insurance helps workers pay medical and living expenses in the event they become injured on the job and can no longer work. (It's important to note that the injury must be accidental – not intentional – in order to qualify for compensation.)...