Post Falls man sentenced for insurance fraud

A Post Falls man who wrongfully received thousands of dollars in disability benefits received a suspended prison sentence.

Mark Chafin pleaded guilty to one count of insurance fraud in connection with a workers' compensation claim, a felony, according to the Idaho Department of Insurance. 

Earlier this month, an Ada County judge sentenced Chafin to three years in prison, then suspended the sentence in favor of supervised probation. Chafin was also sentenced to 20 days of actual jail time, which can be served through the Sheriff's Labor Detail program in Ada County, and he must pay restitution. 

Authorities said Chafin was injured while employed at Wenig Foods in Post Falls and began receiving disability payments through his workers' compensation insurance with the Idaho State Insurance Fund. 

“However, despite returning to work for a different employer only a few months later, Chafin continued to collect full disability payments and failed to notify SIF of his employment status,” a news release said. 

Further investigation showed that Chafin failed to report his return to work but also denied it on multiple occasions when questioned by a claims examiner. 

The Department of Insurance’s fraud unit determined that Chafin wrongfully received more than $7,500 in disability benefits to which he was not entitled. 

“Insurance fraud drives up costs for all Idahoans and undermines the integrity of our system,” Dean L. Cameron, director of the Idaho Department of Insurance said in a news release. “We remain committed to aggressively investigating and prosecuting those who attempt to abuse it.”