A former U.S. Postal Service worker admitted Tuesday she falsely claimed she was injured filing paperwork in order to collect more than $50,000 in disability payments, Newsday reported.
Zdena Hock, 65, of Mineola, N.Y., pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of theft of government services, the newspaper said. According to court papers, Hock filed for disability in January 2012 after claiming she was “incapable of working for the Postal Service” because she had seriously injured her neck and back working as a secretary at the Mid Island Processing and Distribution Center in Melville.
The pain ranged from “strong to severe,” and she continued to say she was still suffering during medical examines she undertook periodically, prosecutors said.
And yet, a federal agent in court papers said that in the summer of 2012, Hock could be seen swimming in a neighborhood pool three times a week, a regimen that included laps and jumping into the pool, and carrying groceries for more than a quarter-mile, the newspaper reported.
The scam came to an end after employees, suspicious that Hock did not report the injuries until six days after they supposedly happened, tipped off authorities.
The newspaper could not immediately reach Hock’s attorneys for comment. She faces up to a year in prison and a restitution of $51,000.
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