Unemployed Men Accruing Workers' Compensation Discovered Running a Soccer Club and a Cheesesteak Business on the Side
UPS Supervisor and Former National Grid Employee Indicted for Workers' Compensation Benefits Fraud
Two individuals, Nicholas Gallagher and Giancarlo Esposito, have found themselves in hot water for allegedly defrauding workers' compensation benefits in separate cases. The Workers' Compensation Fraud Inspector General (WCFIG) revealed Gallagher's scheme, while Esposito's case was reported by State Inspector General Lucy Lang.
Nicholas Gallagher, a UPS supervisor, collected over $13,000 in workers' compensation benefits while earning more than $37,000 from two other jobs. Gallagher worked as a boys' varsity soccer coach at St. John the Baptist High School and a sales representative for Lacrosse Unlimited, according to investigators.
In a similar vein, Giancarlo Esposito, a former logistics employee at National Grid, pleaded guilty to fraudulently collecting workers' compensation benefits while operating Espo's Cheesesteak Factory, a mobile food truck business based in Eastport. Esposito received over $28,000 in workers' compensation benefits between June 2022 and February 2023.
Investigators found false documentation claiming no employees or unpaid volunteers worked for Esposito's business to avoid workers' compensation insurance premiums. Video evidence showed multiple people working at Esposito's cheesesteak stand, contradicting his claims of being unable to work. Esposito repeatedly told medical professionals he was unable to work, but surveillance footage and social media posts showed him actively working in his cheesesteak truck alongside his wife.
Esposito paid $27,069.84 in restitution and was sentenced to a conditional discharge. Lucy Lang, the State Inspector General, stated, 'New Yorkers have a right to expect accountability and our fight against fraud never takes a vacation.'
In a separate case, Giancarlo Esposito reported a back injury in May 2021. No further details about Esposito's case or sentencing were provided in the article.
Meanwhile, Gallagher was sentenced to a conditional discharge with community service and ordered to pay full restitution of $13,402.87. Gallagher collected workers' compensation benefits while working as a coach and sales representative, despite earning more than his workers' compensation pay.
Lang's office includes the workers' compensation fraud unit. Lang reported Esposito's case, emphasising the importance of accountability and the ongoing fight against fraud. The WCFIG revealed Gallagher's scheme, highlighting the need for vigilance in the workers' compensation system.
However, there is no publicly available information about Giancarlo Esposito being convicted in Suffolk County First District Court in July for collecting workers' compensation while operating his own cheesesteak cart business during his employment at National Grid.
