A Central Square, NY man who claimed he could not work because of an ankle injury sustained in the course of his work as a painter, admitted in court today that he was, in fact, back on the job — painting properties — while collecting over $10,000 in workers’ compensation wage replacement benefits. The defendant, Christopher Cronk, 58, made the admission as part of his plea in Onondaga County Court before the Hon. Gordon Cuffy to Insurance Fraud in the Third Degree (N.Y. Penal Law § 176.20), a Class D felony, following an investigation by the Office of New York State Workers’ Compensation Fraud Inspector General Lucy Lang.
Cronk was injured in March 2021 while employed by Cutting Edge Painting in Webster, NY, and began receiving wage replacement benefits through the New York State Workers’ Compensation Board shortly thereafter, benefits that are intended to support injured workers who cannot earn a paycheck while they recover. But by March 2022, Cronk had resumed paid painting work at private properties and businesses – surveillance footage captured him working, witness statements confirmed it, and bank records reflected payment.
Even as he worked, Cronk continued to certify to his insurance carrier — the New York State Insurance Fund — that he had not engaged in any employment. On official work activity forms submitted in April and May 2022, he falsely answered “No” when asked whether he had performed any work for pay since his injury. Those misrepresentations allowed him to collect benefits through August of 2022, totaling $10,494 to which he was not entitled.
“Workers’ compensation exists to protect injured workers during recovery — not to underwrite undisclosed employment or serve as a second paycheck,” said Inspector General Lang. “When someone chooses to collect benefits while secretly working, they erode trust in a system that depends on honesty. Today’s plea reinforces that accountability matters.”
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