Fresno Resident Arrested on Four Felony Charges

Investigators from the California Department of Insurance (CDI) Fraud Division have arrested a Fresno resident on four felony charges.

George Margarito Vasquez, 30, was arrested on a felony warrant charging him with two counts of insurance fraud, one count of perjury, and one count grand theft. Vasquez was booked at the Fresno County Jail and bail was set at $20,000. CDI began an investigation in Oct. 2001 at the request of Zenith Insurance Company.

The investigation revealed the suspect allegedly committed workers’ compensation insurance fraud by filing a false claim on April 3, 2000. Vasquez filed a claim for a lower back injury through his employer Designer Flower Center. Zenith Insurance Company placed Vasquez on temporary disability and he began receiving vocational rehabilitation benefits.

In Dec. 2000, Vasquez told his primary treating physician he was unable to do any type of lifting. A series of undercover videos reportedly depicted Vasquez performing a variety of activities inconsistent with his prior statement to his physician. After reviewing the videotapes, the physician agreed that Vasquez misrepresented his limitations and condition to him and reduced Vasquez’s disability rating.

In Feb. 2001, Vasquez again insisted in a deposition that he was unable to do any type of lifting. Vasquez reportedly perjured himself by denying his ability to perform those activities when the videotape clearly showed his ability to complete those acts without hesitation or difficulty, and showed no signs of pain or discomfort.