A former Lansdale man has been charged with felony workers compensation insurance fraud, following a years-long criminal investigation by the Insurance Fraud Section of the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General (OAG).
According to the criminal complaint filed by investigators, Michael Saylor, 53, formerly of the 800 block of Lombardy Drive, claimed to have suffered an unwitnessed injury to his neck and shoulder on Oct. 5, 2015, while operating an aerial lift for Harleysville-based Tuff Wrap Installations. Saylor then filed a workers compensation claim in order to receive benefits, the complaint states.
Saylor began receiving continuous total disability payments to his address in Lansdale in the amount of $701.9 per week through late June 2016, the report states. At that time, his attorney demanded a cash settlement, which the insurance company agreed to pay, the report states. In total, the complaint states that Saylor received $184,501.67 by way of weekly payments, payment of medical bills and a $137,500 cash settlement.
Investigators later learned that sometime in November or December 2015, Saylor allegedly met with a friend to discuss creating a business in property management, and in late December 2015, the two had created a company called Total Containment, the report states. Saylor’s friend-turned-business partner informed investigators that Saylor allegedly went to great lengths to keep his name off of the business filings and operational documents, but added that Saylor was allegedly being paid in cash and frequently participated in hands-on work, including heavy lifting, during the period that he was drawing workers compensation benefits, according to the complaint.
In total, investigators said Saylor allegedly helped to completed more than 20 projects over the four month period from January through April 2016.
Total Containment ceased operations in April 2016, after Saylor and his partner allegedly had a disagreement about money, according to the complaint. His partner would later notify the workers compensation insurance company about the alleged fraud, and he also informed investigators that Saylor allegedly continued to engage in the same type of work, but under a new business name and with the help of his daughter.
In addition to the felony workers compensation insurance fraud charge, Saylor faces felony charges of workers comp fraud – failure to make report, workers comp fraud – receiving benefits, and theft by deception.
Saylor, who currently lives along the 3100 block of Goezel Road in Perkiomenville, was taken into custody on June 14 and arraigned by Magisterial District Judge Ed Levine, who set bail at $100,000 unsecured. Saylor was then released from custody.
His next court appearance is a preliminary hearing on June 24 at 12:30 p.m. in front of Judge Levine.
(Editor's note: All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. Should the defendant choose to issue a public statement, or is later found not guilty or has the charges dropped, we will update this article accordingly.)
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