You’ve heard about these cases before: An employee is collecting disability payments, but someone sees him doing heavy yard work or playing pick-up basketball. This case from Wales takes those scams one step further.
Keith McNiffe was on disability after an operation left him unable to walk. That was legitimate.
But collecting benefits while officiating at 67 soccer matches? That’s another story.
McNiffe was also mayor of his town in Wales and initially stepped down to fight the fraud allegations against him.
Later he admitted failing to notify authorities of the change in his condition, according to wire service reports.
A court handed him a suspended four-month jail term, ordered him to complete 200 hours’ unpaid work and pay 75 pounds (about $150) in costs. He also has to repay 9,000 pounds ($18,000) in disability benefits he collected.
The chief fraud officer for Wales had this to say about the case, “Magistrates gave him a yellow card which sends out a clear message to everyone out there. Any other offense and the result will be a sending off.”
