Ronan man guilty of workers' comp fraud

RONAN – After being caught in the crosshairs of a private investigator, a Ronan man that feigned injury in order to receive $14,000 of workers’ compensation has been found guilty of two felony counts of theft.

The conviction of Perry Joseph Penfield by a Helena jury required only an hour of deliberation following a two-day trial. Penfield had sustained an injury to his right knee in April 2008 while working for his parents’ business, Polson Paint and Glass. The following week, Penfield started to receive biweekly payments of $777.86 from the Montana State Fund for temporary disability benefits, and continued to receive the compensation for over a year and a half.

During that time, however, Penfield was found to have started his own siding business while a private investigator hired by the state also found that he kept busy by painting area homes.

Furthermore, a doctor who examined Penfield observed him walk with a severe limp that was suddenly absent when he was seen leaving the building.

Penfield will be sentenced on April 11. He faces a maximum ten-year prison sentence as well as potential $50,000 fines for each count of theft. Prosecutors in the case will reportedly aim for Penfield to pay back the $14,000 sum in restitution.