South

Employee faked COVID-19 diagnosis to get out of work, causing company $100,000 loss

Georgia malingerer faces federal charges for allegedly submitting bogus medical records claiming he had the virus, forcing Atlanta firm to quarantine staff and shut for cleaning.

For the still employed who, strangely, look on with envy at the newly idle, now might seem the perfect time to wangle a few weeks off. No one can doubt there’s something going around at the moment and who would be any the wiser?

The only snag is that claiming you’re COVID-19 positive is not like calling in to say you’ve woken up with a stonking headache. With consequences of a completely different magnitude for your employer, the former excuse is likely to face far greater scrutiny, as a worker in Georgia recently discovered.

Santwon Antonio Davis of Morrow was arrested by the FBI for allegedly defrauding the large Atlanta company where he worked by faking a coronavirus diagnosis, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia said in a press release Thursday.

The 34-year-old allegedly submitted a bogus medical letter to his employer, a Fortune 500 company, claiming he’d tested positive for COVID-19.

The falsified diagnosis forced the company to shut down for cleaning and disinfection while it continued to pay employees.  As a result, the company, unnamed in the release, lost over $100,000 and needlessly quarantined several of Davis’s colleagues.

“The defendant caused unnecessary economic loss to his employer and distress to his coworkers and their families,” U.S. Attorney Byung J. Pak said in a statement.

“We will take quick action through the Georgia COVID-19 Task Force to put a stop to criminals preying on Georgia companies and the public with Coronavirus-related fraud schemes,” he added

Davis has since admitted that he never had the virus, according to the release.

“Scammers continue to take advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic through a variety of means,” Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta, warned.

Davis is no stranger to custody, with three previous stints in prison since 2006 for convictions including theft, criminal trespassing and criminal damage to property, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

He may now be rueing the fact that his cunning plan to get time off has worked a little too well.

Latest Stories

Karaoke Meltdown: Florida Man Fires Gun Over Missing Mic

Denied his moment in the spotlight, a Clearwater man turned a bar parking lot into his own action movie—until police stepped in.

9 hours ago

Texas Embalmer Allegedly Mutilates Sex Offender’s Corpse in Bizarre Revenge Act

Houston funeral worker accused of taking posthumous justice into her own hands, leaving a crime scene fit for a horror flick.

5 days ago

NJ Maniac Shoots Married Neighbors Before Killing Himself in Mansion After Standoff with Cops

Mystery surrounds motive of John Adamo who shot husband and wife before turning the gun on himself.

7 days ago

Kidnapped baby found alive 25 years later in Mexico – mom still on the run

Connecticut toddler kidnapped by her mother 25 years ago has been found alive in Mexico, while authorities continue searching for the fugitive mother who snatched her in 1999.

2 weeks ago

Fake NBA Rep Swipes $770K in Tiffany Diamonds, Eats Evidence in Bizarre Getaway

A Texas man posing as an NBA insider tried to finesse a high-end jewelry heist—but cops had the last laugh when they caught him with stolen diamonds in his stomach.

2 weeks ago

New Jersey Spa Owner Soon Bang Busted for Running a Not-So-Relaxing Business

Cops raided Oasis Spa and found more than just massage oil—leading to charges against its 63-year-old owner.

3 weeks ago

This website uses cookies.