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Robert Marra, of Crawford in Orange County, falsely reported the extent of his injuries to his doctors and independent medical examiners, according to a collaborative investigation by the NYS Department of Financial Services, the Orange County District Attorney’s Office and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.
As a result, Marra was deemed fully disabled and received a total of $33,700 in benefits from the NYS Workers’ Compensation Fund that he was not entitled to, according to police.
However, police say Marra has since participated in at least a dozen “Spartan-style” races that include strenuous activities such as spear throw, horizontal wall traverse, barbed wire crawl, wall jumps, rope clips, bucket carry, inverted wall, rolling mud and burpees.
Police say Marra also visited Spain to participate in a strenuous Ibex Hunt, an event that requires excellent physical conditioning due to terrain difficulties.
Marra was arrested on Tuesday, April 30. He faces the following charges:
- Third-degree grand larceny, a Class D felony
- Penalties for fraudulent practices (a Workers’ Compensation Law offense), a Class E felony
Marra was arraigned at the Newburgh Town Court and released on his own recognizance pending a future appearance at the Town of Crawford Court.
“Workers’ Compensation is for people in need, due to injuries on the job. It’s not meant to be an extra source of income for those who aren’t injured, or for those who have recovered from their injuries,” said Orange County District Attorney David Hoovler. “Our cooperative effort in this case with the Sheriff’s Office and the State Department of Financial Services is part of my Office’s larger commitment to investigating and prosecuting crimes involving the theft of government funds.”
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