A federal grand jury in Beaumont, Texas, has returned a 40-count indictment charging Patrick Wayne Bronnon, and 11 other individuals with federal violations related to a $1.7 million insurance fraud scheme in the Eastern District of Texas

12 Indicted on Property Insurance Fraud Charges in Southeast Texas

May 11, 2018

A federal grand jury in Beaumont, Texas, has returned a 40-count indictment charging 12 individuals with federal violations related to a $1.7 million insurance fraud scheme in the Eastern District of Texas, U.S. Attorney Joseph D. Brown announced.

According to the May 2 indictment, beginning in 2011, Patrick Wayne Bronnon, and others, began executing a scheme to defraud various insurance companies through fraudulent claims on homes and vehicles.

The indictment alleges Bronnon, or co-defendant Glenn Etienne, would identify a low value property and purchase it through a co-defendant straw purchaser.

On several occasions, Bronnon or Etienne would provide the straw purchaser with the funds for the down payment and initial insurance premium. Within a couple of weeks, Bronnon or an associate would intentionally damage the home, typically by fire or water, in order to collect insurance proceeds, according to federal prosecutors .

In total, nine fraudulent fire claims, three fraudulent water damage claims, and two fraudulent theft claims were filed with various insurance companies on nine different addresses, totaling approximately $1.7 million in fraudulent payments.

The properties were located in Port Arthur, Port Neches, Beaumont, and Sugarland, Texas.

Those charged in the indictment are:

• Patrick Wayne Bronnon, 49, of Groves, Texas
• Glenn Dell Etienne, 50, of Groves
• Geraldine Weldon Joseph, 67, of Port Arthur
• Morris Broussard, 51, of Houston
• Keisha Windon Lewis, 44, of Port Arthur
• Helene Williams Calcote, 41, of Groves
• Cynthia Lynn Banion, 45, of Houston
• Earnest Hamilton, 79, of Richmond
• Nathaniel Joseph Chevalier, 40, of Nederland
• Rodric Ledae Wallace, 49, of Nederland
• Riley Moss Reed, 63, of Port Arthur

Under federal statutes, if convicted, the defendants face up to 20 years in federal prison.

This case is being investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, National Insurance Crime Bureau and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher T. Tortorice.
Source: U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Texas

SINKHOLE STATE: Acid rain from hurricanes or tropical storms is expediting the creation of sinkholes in Florida

OCALA, Fla. – All around some members of a Florida community, solid ground is suddenly opening up.

A sinkhole drained an entire pond. At least a dozen people were forced from their home when giant holes swallowed up land near them. One woman scrambled out of her home in the middle of the night after hearing a loud crack.


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Sinkholes are not uncommon in Florida, but the frequency of the ones opening up in a community in Ocala the past two weeks is alarming officials and residents who live there.

In Winchase townhomes, more than a dozen sinkholes have opened around a retention pond—a pool designed to hold storm water runoff from streets to prevent flooding.

“When they first started opening up it was really scary, and we weren’t sure whether we should stay here or stay with a friend or family member,” said Maren Pinder, a mother of two who lives in the quiet community 80 miles northwest of Orlando.

The massive depressions have drained the pond, pulled water out of another one nearby and forced the evacuation of eight nearby homes, with some overlapping and intersecting to become larger.


“The crews testing the soil said they’re still assessing the land before they can develop a plan to repair everything,” said resident Maren Pinder. (Fox News)

The holes began appearing on April 25. Residents said they saw them burst open when water started exploding into what looked like a geyser shooting out of the now-empty pond.

“My husband said that when he was leaving for work the day it happened, he felt a depression in the road. It was soft on the concrete so it was no surprise to him that there was a sinkhole there later in the day,” Pinder said.

According to the Florida Geological Survey, more than 400 sinkholes have been reported in the state since Hurricane Irma hit on September 10, 2017, a sudden spike from previous years. Meteorologists predict the upcoming hurricane season could be just as destructive – causing a ripple effect the causes the ground to give way.

Locals say there was another sinkhole epidemic here in 2012, which cost the Homeowner’s Association thousands of dollars to fill and secure.

“The 2017 hurricane season was extremely active…we saw Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, Maria and Nate,” said Brian LaMarre, meteorologist-in-charge at the National Weather Service Tampa Bay. “What we’re looking at for the 2018 hurricane season is actually another above normal season.”

Dr. Anthony Randazzo, co-principal of Geohazards, Inc. and professor emeritus at the University of Florida, advises engineers and architects of sinkhole and other ground risks before construction projects begin.

He says weather and other factors contribute to the risk of sinkholes.

“This is a natural phenomenon, but it’s exacerbated by the fact that we have a rapidly growing population in Florida occupying land areas prone to sinkhole activity,” he said. “So we should see more and more sinkholes develop with time, particularly when they’re triggered by large storm events.”


The Sunshine State has more sinkhole activity than any other state in the country. The city of Ocala sits in a part of the state known as "sinkhole alley," and it all has to do with what lies beneath.

Florida’s bedrock is made up of a porous layer on limestone, which Randazzo compares to a block of swiss cheese. He says it can break down over time as it interacts with acid naturally found in rainwater, causing anything above to collapse.

Randazzo said the process creates caverns in the limestone and has been going on for thousands of years, long before Florida was Florida, but can be accelerated by heavy rain from a hurricane or a tropical storm.

“Central Florida has limestone close to the surface that dates back millions of years, parts of Florida farther south have younger limestone which is deeper under the surface and not as permeable,” he said, adding that the holes in the limestone existed long before the development was built.

"Sinkhole alley" accounts for two-thirds of the sinkhole-related insurance claims in the state, according to a Florida Senate Insurance and Banking Committee report.

In 1981, a crater near Orlando grew to 400 feet across and claimed five sports cars, most of two businesses, a three-bedroom house and the deep end of an Olympic-size swimming pool.

Crews are using underground radar and drilling machines to dig up to 100 feet down for soil samples in hopes of figuring out a solution to the cratered lunar landscape.


They have told residents the holes cannot be filled until testing is completed.

The Ocala Fire Rescue Department and the city's engineer, as well as the county's Emergency Management Department, have been investigating the sinkholes to try to prevent them from happening again.

Randazzo said preconstruction reviews of soil are not extensive enough and do not involve geologists to the extent that they should, adding, “as a result the underlying conditions that could produce a sinkhole are oftentimes missed and the construction goes on and then years later the structure experiences sinkhole activity.”

“I don’t know a whole lot about sinkholes, but you would think if they had fixed the one back in 2012 that would prevent future sinkholes here,” Pinder said. “I’m hoping this time around they fix it so we don’t have to worry about those sinkholes happening anymore.”

A worse-case scenario is that these sinkholes continue to grow and eventually merge into one massive crater, something neighbors describe as their worst fear.

ANOTHER BACKOVER DEATH: Inocente Nino Garcia was killed after a fellow worker backed over him in a service truck near mile marker 128 on Interstate 64 eastbound

BEAVER, WV — A construction worker died while on the job Friday in Raleigh County.
An accident on Interstate 64 was reported on Friday, May 11, after 12 p.m.

According to the West Virginia State Police, Nino Garcia was killed after a fellow worker backed over him in a service truck.

According to troopers the incident occurred near mile marker 128 on Interstate 64 eastbound, near Beaver. 

An officer was present, stationed in the work zone, and saw workers trying to get his attention. He then found Garcia on the ground with upper body injuries. 
Garcia later died of those injuries.



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West Virginia construction worker killed in I-64 accident  

Sat May 12, 2018.

Associated Press


BEAVER, W.Va. (AP) — West Virginia State Police say a worker has died in a construction zone accident along Interstate 64 after another worker backed over him with a service truck.

Media outlets report the accident occurred Friday in the eastbound lanes of I-64 east of Beckley.

State Police say Inocente Garcia of Houston was pronounced dead at Raleigh General Hospital in Beckley on Friday.

No charges were filed.




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ANOTHER BACKOVER DEATH: Worker Donald Ray Moyer II, 51, with Wiest Asphalt Products & Paving was killed when he was struck by a co-worker’s bucking dump truck during a paving project in Jefferson Township, PA

JEFFERSON TWP, PA — Authorities say a 51-year-old Butler area man was killed this morning when he was struck by a co-worker’s dump truck during a paving project.

State police are investigating but they did not release the man’s name. He was part of a crew for Wiest Asphalt Products & Paving.

The victim, who was wearing a bright yellow shirt, was behind a company truck on Great Belt Road in Jefferson Township about 7:30 a.m. when the truck accidentally backed over him, authorities said.

The crew was reportedly paving nearby Becker Road at the time.

Butler County Chief Deputy Coroner John Hanovick pronounced the man dead at 8:30 a.m. An autopsy was planned this afternoon

Hanovick said the preliminary cause of death is listed as massive injuries to the head and chest. 


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JEFFERSON TOWNSHIP, PA (KDKA) — A road crew worker was killed on the site of a paving project in Jefferson Township Tuesday morning.

It happened around 7:45 a.m. at the intersection of Great Belt Road and Becker Road.

State police say 51-year-old Donald Ray Moyer II, of Franklin Township, was part of the paving crew on a roadway paving project.


A work-site vehicle struck Moyer, killing him. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Further details on the incident have not been released.

The investigation is ongoing.

Recommendations:

·         Brief all employees on the facts and circumstances of this fatal incident.

·         In accordance with OSHA Construction Standards, properly equip motor vehicles used in construction environments with audible devices that may be heard over other sounds when being backed-up.

·         Revisit safety programs and JSA information to ensure they are applicable to OSHA standards necessary for the work to be performed.

·         Use a spotter when backing equipment near other personnel as required.

·         Utilize high visibility outer garments.

·         Be aware of your surroundings.

·         Avoid wearing clothing or hooded garments which limit your field of view.

·         Use of approved FRC helmet liners is preferred, as they turn with your head.

·         Ensure that pre-tour safety meetings are conducted to discuss the work to be performed, identifying the potential safety hazards and implementing safe work procedures to control hazards.

·         Ensure the safety meeting information is provided to all employees.

Preventing Backovers

A backover incident occurs when a backing vehicle strikes a worker who is standing, walking, or kneeling behind the vehicle. These incidents can be prevented. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, over 70 workers died from backover incidents in 2011. These kinds of incidents can occur in different ways. For example:

On June 18, 2009, an employee was working inside a work zone wearing his reflective safety vest. A dump truck operating in the work zone backed up and struck the employee with the rear passenger side wheels. The employee was killed. The dump truck had an audible back up alarm and operating lights. (OSHA Inspection Number 313225377)

On June 9, 2010, an employee was standing on the ground in front of a loading dock facing into the building while a tractor trailer was backing into the same dock. The trailer crushed the employee between the trailer and the dock. (OSHA Inspection Number 314460940)

The purpose of this webpage is to provide information about the hazards of backovers; solutions that can reduce the risk or frequency of these incidents; articles and resources; and references to existing regulations and letters of interpretation.

How do backover incidents occur?

Backover accidents can happen for a variety of reasons. Drivers may not be able to see a worker in their blind spot. Workers may not hear backup alarms because of other worksite noises or because the alarms are not functioning. A spotter assisting one truck may not see another truck behind him. Workers riding on vehicles may fall off and get backed over. Drivers may assume that the area is clear and not look in the direction of travel (PDF*). Sometimes, it is unclear why a worker was in the path of a backing vehicle. A combination of factors can also lead to backover incidents.

What can be done to prevent backover incidents?

Many solutions exist to prevent backover incidents. Drivers can use a spotter to help them back up their vehicles. Video cameras with in-vehicle display monitors can give drivers a view of what is behind them. Proximity detection devices, such as radar and sonar, can alert drivers to objects that are behind them. Tag-based systems can inform drivers when other employees are behind the vehicle and can alert employees when they walk near a vehicle equipped to communicate with the tag worn by the employee. On some work sites, employers can create internal traffic control plans, which tell the drivers where to drive and can reduce the need to back up. In some cases, internal traffic control plans can also be used to separate employees on foot from operating equipment.

Training is another tool to prevent backover incidents. Blind spots behind and around vehicles are not immediately obvious to employees on foot. By training employees on where those blind spots are and how to avoid being in them, employers can prevent some backover incidents. One component of this training can include putting employees who will be working around vehicles in the driver’s seat to get a feel for where the blind spots are and what, exactly, the drivers can see. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) several blind spot diagrams that can help explain what drivers of various large trucks can see.

Vehicles Causing the Most Backover Fatalities 2005-2010+

Dump Truck	67
Semi/Tractor Trailer	40
Truck	30
Forklift	21
Garbage Truck	20
Pick-up Truck	16

 
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HOW TO PREVENT VEHICLE BACKOVER INJURIES AND DEATHS

Backing vehicles and equipment are a serious occupational hazard. The Bureau of Labor Statistics states that, of the 443 struck-by fatalities at road construction sites between 2003 and 2010, 143 cases involved a vehicle or mobile equipment backing up.

To help prevent backover injuries and deaths, NIOSH recommends a number of standard operating procedures:

·         Create and enforce an operating procedure that addresses how to work safely and lists best practices to follow when working near vehicles and other equipment.

·         Establish safety procedures for working at night with backing equipment. Ensure high-visibility apparel is worn.

·         Take precautions. Use equipment that creates minimal blind spots or has proximity warning devices.

·         Before work begins, design the worksites to minimize or eliminate the need for backing vehicles and equipment.

·         Hire a competent person to supervise worksites involving backing vehicles and equipment.

·         Be sure drivers know not to back up equipment unless they are under the direction of a spotter.

·         Use barrels, barricades, cones or reflective devices to guide vehicles and equipment away from workers.

·         Post signs informing workers where it is safe to walk.

NIOSH states that before work begins, vehicle and equipment operators need to inspect their machinery for any issues. Ensure everything, including mirrors and windows, is clear and in good working order. If something is found to be defective, remove the vehicle or equipment from service until repairs are made.

When operating equipment, know its blind spots. If you lose contact with your spotter for any reason, immediately stop work.

NIOSH also notes that clear communication is key. “At the start of each shift, review communications signals (verbal, hand signals, flags) between spotters, machine operators, truck drivers, and workers on foot,” the agency states.

 

For workers on foot near backing vehicles or equipment, NIOSH recommends employees adhere to the following:

·         Wear appropriate high-visibility personal protective equipment.

·         Know the blind spots of vehicles and equipment you work near.

·         Never approach a piece of equipment or vehicle without a clear signal of acknowledgment from the operator.

·         Avoid areas where vehicles and equipment travel.

·         Stay alert for the sound of reversing alarms.

·         Avoid complacency. Always know your surroundings.