California Highway Patrol Officer Sentenced to Jail for Insurance Fraud
A 17-year veteran of the California Highway Patrol (CHP) has been sentenced to 270 days in county jail for committing felony insurance fraud. Officer Jordan Roy Lester, 45, pleaded guilty to the charges in Sacramento County court and was also ordered to pay $232,829 in restitution to the CHP and $127,791 to the state compensation insurance fund.
Background of the Case
Lester had claimed a medical retirement due to a debilitating injury, stating that he couldn’t stand or sit without “significant pain.” However, an investigation by the CHP’s Workers’ Compensation Fraud Investigation Unit revealed that Lester was engaging in physical activities such as cutting down trees, stacking firewood, and operating heavy machinery on his newly purchased property. This was in stark contrast to his claims of being unable to perform even routine household chores.
The investigation, which spanned multiple years, found that Lester had filed a workers’ compensation claim in July 2021, despite his superiors deeming the injury “not significant.” Lester was not taken off duty at the time and continued to work, earning over $260,000 in pay and benefits in 2021, according to the public pay database Transparent California.
Consequences of the Fraud
Lester’s actions not only betrayed the trust of his employer and the public but also had significant financial implications. By committing insurance fraud, he delayed medical care and financial assistance to employees who were genuinely injured at work. As Sacramento County Dist. Atty. Thien Ho stated, “We take workers’ compensation fraud very seriously as it has an immediate and lasting financial impact on employers and delays medical care and financial assistance to employees legitimately injured at work.”
Lester’s sentence includes two years of formal probation and the loss of his service and pension credit for the years in which the fraud was committed. The case serves as a reminder of the importance of integrity and honesty, particularly among public servants. As Ho added, “To have a peace officer commit this fraud is not only a violation of their duty to serve and protect with integrity, but it is also a violation of public trust.”
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