39-year-old Nicole Brown, a Westminster officer in South California, is facing 15 counts of workers’ compensation and insurance fraud felonies. The charges were handed down Monday, leaving Brown to possibly serve 22 years in prison if convicted.
On March 21, 2022, Brown said she had a minor abrasion on her head while arresting a hostile suspect. She told her watch commander that her head hurt and she was feeling nauseous.
Even after being examined by an ER doctor and released within the day, Brown called in sick for multiple days and later got diagnosed with a severe concussion a week after the incident. She reportedly complained that she had problems processing thoughts and words along with being unable to work on the computer.
Brown was listed under Total Temporary Disability — which allowed to receive her full salary for a year and two-thirds of that amount after.
In April 2023, the district attorney’s office began looking into Brown’s case for potential fraud, particularly after being seen dancing and drinking at an annual music festival.
The investigation revealed that during the days she was called absent because of her injury, Brown was going to soccer conferences in San Diego. While collecting disability compensation, she ran 5K races, snowboarded and went skiing in Bear Bear and Mammoth, played sports, and went to Disneyland.
At this point in time Brown had already collected over $600,000, including her full salary and reimbursements for medical expenses.
57-year-old Peter Schuman, Brown’s stepfather, is also facing charges of two felonies related to insurance fraud and assistance in a crime.
