Ohio Employer Pleads Guilty to Manslaughter After Worker Dies in Fall Off Roof
August 5, 2019
An Ohio construction company owner has pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter after a worker lacking safety equipment fell to his death from the roof of a three-story apartment complex.
Owner James Coon, of Akron, also recently pleaded guilty in Summit County court to a felony charge of workers’ compensation fraud.
The Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation says Coon disregarded his legal responsibilities and didn’t have BWC coverage when 39-year-old employee Gerardo Juarez Sr. died in 2017.
Additional reckless homicide and fraud charges were dismissed under Coon’s plea agreement, which was entered July 24.
The office of Coon’s attorney, Christopher Parker, said he wouldn’t comment until after the sentencing.
Court records indicate sentencing is scheduled Aug. 21. BWC says Coon could face up to five years in prison.
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Akron business owner convicted of manslaughter, workers’ comp fraud
August 2, 2019
Company has history of worker injuries, noncompliance with BWC
The owner of an Akron construction company pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter July 24 after one of his workers fell to his death in late 2017. James D. Coon, the owner of James Coon Construction, also pleaded guilty in a Summit County courtroom to a fourth-degree felony charge of workers’ compensation fraud. Investigators with the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC) found Coon lacked BWC coverage when his employee died and that he repeatedly lied about his business to minimize his premiums or avoid paying them altogether.
“This tragic case underscores the critical importance for workplace safety protocols and workers’ compensation insurance,” said BWC Administrator Stephanie McCloud. “Our investigation found Mr. Coon willfully and deliberately disregarded his responsibilities under the law, and now several lives are devastated by it.”
Gerardo “Jerry” Juarez Sr., a 39-year-old married father of five, died Nov. 4, 2017, at the scene of his fall. It was his second day on the job. The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration notified BWC of the accident four days later.
According to BWC’s special investigations department, Juarez was working on a sloped roof of a 3-story apartment complex without a fall protection device when he slipped and fell 25 feet to his death. Among the investigation’s findings:
- Two other Coon employees were injured in falls prior to Juarez’s death, also during a time when Coon lacked BWC coverage.
- Coon told BWC he no longer operated his business. But in March 2018 — five months after Juarez’s death — agents observed six Coon employees at a worksite tearing shingles from a roof. They had no safety equipment.
- Coon consistently reported to BWC over the years of having no employees. A BWC audit found nearly $286,000 in payroll to employees from July 1, 2009 through July 1, 2018.
Coon owes BWC $303,152 to date for unpaid premiums and claims costs for workers injured during a policy lapse. His conviction for involuntary manslaughter, a third-degree felony, is punishable by a maximum five years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.
BWC safety services and grants: BWC offers free safety consultations and grant dollars to assist employers with the purchase of equipment that improves workplace safety. For more, visit bwc.ohio.gov and click on the Safety & Training link.
To report suspected workers’ compensation fraud, call 1-800-644-6292 or visit bwc.ohio.gov.