MaCaulay Williams, 44, was found guilty of one count of insurance fraud and one count of attempted theft by deception for falsely filing a claim to Liberty Mutual Insurance Company in Middlesex County, NJ

South River man found guilty by jury of insurance fraud and attempted theft


June 12, 2018

A South River man was found guilty by a jury of insurance fraud and attempted theft by deception for submitting fraudulent insurance claims to Liberty Mutual Insurance Company.

MaCaulay Williams, 44, was found guilty on June 1 of one count of insurance fraud in the third degree and one count of attempted theft by deception in the third degree for falsely filing a claim to Liberty Mutual Insurance Company, according to information provided by Middlesex County Prosecutor Andrew C. Carey.

During the two-week trial that began on May 22, Middlesex County Assistant Prosecutor Jody Carbone presented evidence and testimony showing that Williams, a law student at the time, submitted a fraudulent claim seeking $31,500 for reimbursement of living expenses while his South River home was being treated for mold, according to the statement.

An investigation by Detective Ryan Tighe of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office determined that between May 1 and December 5, 2013, Williams submitted a claim for $1,500 a day for 21 days, in the form of two checks he wrote to his girlfriend for rent to stay at her home. It was determined that the two checks he submitted to the insurance company were written but never cashed, according to the statement.

The investigations were initiated by the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General, which has implemented a comprehensive and statewide insurance fraud crackdown through its County Prosecutor Insurance Fraud Reimbursement Program, according to the statement.

Williams is facing a prison term of three to five years when he is sentenced in New Brunswick by Superior Court Judge Dennis Nieves on July 13.

An employee of soap manufacturer Rogue Research, died as he was working with a mixer and got caught in a mechanical part of the machine in Petaluma, CA

Man dies on the job at Petaluma soap company

SUSAN MINICHIELLO
THE PRESS DEMOCRA
June 11, 2018, 9:33PM

A man died at Petaluma soap manufacturer Monday afternoon while operating machinery, police said.

The man, an employee of Rogue Research, was working with a mixer and got caught in a mechanical part of the machine, Petaluma police Lt. Tim Lyons said.

He was dead when Petaluma police and firefighters arrived at the Copeland Street company around 2 p.m. Monday, Lyons said. Police withheld his name until his family could be notified, Lyons said.

Investigators served a search warrant at 8:30 p.m. Tuesday to inspect the business, Lyons said. The company, which makes soap and supplement products, is cooperating with investigators, he said.

Cal-OSHA and Petaluma Police are investigating the circumstances of the man’s death.

The Transportation Safety Board (TSB) says it can’t determine why a Robinson R44 helicopter crashed near the Campbell River airport last fall, killing 46-year-old Karen Coulter from Nanaimo.

TSB investigators unable to determine cause of fatal Campbell River helicopter crash
"


TSB investigators unable to determine cause of fatal Campbell River helicopter crash
Pilot killed when helicopter hit the ground near airport
CBC News · Posted: Jun 11, 2018 12:02 PM PT | Last Updated: June 11

The Robinson R44 Astro helicopter crashed about a kilometre away from the Campbell River Airport. (Transportation Safety Board)


The Transportation Safety Board says investigators have been unable to determine why a helicopter crashed in Campbell River, B.C., in October last year.

One pilot was killed when the ASAP Avionics Services Robinson R44 Astro hit the ground in dense bush near the city's airport.

The helicopter took off from the airport with two pilots on board, according to the TSB report.


The purpose of the flight was to allow one of the pilots to demonstrate his ability to conduct slow flight manoeuvres for potential future employment.

After conducting flight exercises several kilometres away, the aircraft headed back to the airport to conduct hover exercises.
Call for mandatory cockpit data

On the final approach, control of the helicopter was transferred from one pilot to the other, the report said.

The helicoper's flightpath based on aircraft global positioning system data. (Google Earth/Transportation Safety Board)

The helicopter began to spin at a slow speed while close to the ground and travelled in a northwesterly direction.

After it gained some altitude, it then struck a tree about a kilometre away from the runway and crashed.

One pilot was killed and the other was seriously injured.

The TSB found both pilots were qualified, the helicopter had been maintained according to regulations, and weather was not a factor.

Investigators could not determine why the pilots lost control and the helicopter collided with terrain, the report said.

The agency is renewing calls for cockpit or data recording devices to be mandatory for commercial and private operators — something that is not currently required.



=======================


Cause of fatal Campbell River helicopter crash undetermined, TSB investigation concludes
  By Neetu Garcha Video Journalist Global News





The Transportation Safety Board (TSB) has released a report into the helicopter crash that killed 46-year-old pilot and mother, Karen Coulter (pictured above). GoFundMe



The Transportation Safety Board (TSB) says it can’t determine why a helicopter crashed near the Campbell River airport last fall, killing a 46-year-old woman from Nanaimo.

In an investigation into the Oct. 1, 2017 crash, the TSB concluded both pilots were certified and qualified for the flight, weather conditions were not considered a factor in the fatal crash, and that the helicopter was maintained and certified in accordance with existing regulations.



“The cause of the loss of control and collision with terrain could not be determined,” the report says.

“As this and other occurrences have demonstrated, when cockpit or data recordings are not available to an investigation, the identification and communication of safety deficiencies to advance transportation safety may be precluded.”

The Robinson R44 chopper lost control and crashed into trees a little over a mile from the airport runway in Campbell River around 5 p.m.

The victim of the crash was remembered as a caring and devoted mother by friend Roger Jamieson, who spoke to Global News about a week after the crash.

“She’s so caring and so giving, always happy and always upbeat,” Jamieson said in an October 2017 interview.

He said 46-year-old Karen Coulter, a pilot and single mom, left behind one son.


“She was an amazing person… her son was her whole life,” he said.

In its report, the TSB reiterated a previous recommendation that the Department of Transport make the installation of lightweight flight recording systems mandatory for commercial and private operators, who are not currently required to carry them.

The emergency locator transmitter activated, but the signal wasn’t heard until almost an hour and a half after the aircraft went down.

OSHA cited Wichita roofing contractor Jose Barrientos for exposing employees to falls and other safety hazards. Barrientos faces proposed penalties totaling $191,071 for two willful and six serious violations.

May 29, 2018

U.S. Department of Labor Cites Wichita Contractor for
Exposing Roofers to Safety Hazards

WICHITA, KS ‒ The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) cited Wichita roofing contractor Jose Barrientos for exposing employees to falls and other safety hazards. Barrientos faces proposed penalties totaling $191,071 for two willful and six serious violations.

OSHA inspectors observed roofers at a Derby, Kansas, residential site working without appropriate fall protection. OSHA cited the employer for failing to provide adequate fall, eye, and face protection; train workers on fall hazards, ladder usage, and hazardous materials; and clear debris from the work area. OSHA has cited the employer for fall hazards five times in the past decade.

“This employer’s continued failure to comply with federal safety requirements needlessly exposed workers to a number of serious hazards, including falls, which are the leading cause of injury in the construction industry,” said Ryan Hodge, OSHA Wichita Area Office Director.

Barrientos has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA’s role is to ensure these conditions for America’s working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education, and assistance. For more information, visit https://www.osha.gov.

U.S. 1st Circuit Court of Appeals Orders Maine Roofers, Lessard Roofing & Siding Inc. and Lessard Brothers Construction Inc., to Correct Violations, Implement Safety Measures, and Address $389,685 in Fines

June 1, 2018

U.S. 1st Circuit Court of Appeals Orders Maine Roofer to Correct Violations,
Implement Safety Measures, and Address $389,685 in Fines

BOSTON, MA – After multiple investigations by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit ordered a Maine roofing contractor who has operated as Lessard Roofing & Siding Inc. and Lessard Brothers Construction Inc. to implement a comprehensive safety and training program after receiving repeated citations for exposing workers to falls. The owner, Stephen Lessard, was also ordered to produce substantial documentation that will demonstrate the extent to which he is able to pay $389,685 in outstanding fines issued by OSHA.

OSHA cited Lessard Roofing & Siding Inc. and Lessard Brothers Construction Inc. for safety violations at 11 different work sites in Maine between 2000 and 2011. Stephen Lessard failed to correct the cited violations, implement appropriate safety measures, and pay accumulated fines and interest, despite being ordered to do so by the 1st Circuit in December 2011. The Court held the owner in civil contempt for defying the 2011 order.

“The 1st Circuit’s order requires Lessard to ensure that all workers at his worksites, whether his employees, employees of his subcontractors, or actual or putative independent contractors, are operating safely, after a long history of his failing to provide adequate protective measures,” said Michael Felsen, Regional Solicitor of Labor in Boston. “When necessary, as in this case, the U.S. Department of Labor will pursue appropriate measures so that employers do not flout the law or gain an unfair advantage over law-abiding employers.”

“An employer that refuses to provide effective fall safety programs, training, and safety equipment needlessly exposes its employees to deadly or disabling injuries,” said Maryann Medeiros, OSHA’s Maine Area Director.

The Court also ordered Lessard to ensure that employees and contractors use required safety equipment and fall protection; conduct worksite safety analyses and meetings; employ a “competent person” to ensure work is performed according to OSHA regulations; notify OSHA about each worksite, and allow inspectors to enter these sites; and provide financial documentation to enable the Department to determine the owner’s ability to pay the fines; submit certification of abatement of the previously cited hazards, and comply with OSHA standards.

In particular, the safety program must include recognition and acceptance of responsibility as an employer, general contractor or supervisory contractor to ensure that all their employees, independent contractors or subcontractors use all appropriate safety equipment and fall protection apparatus and follow appropriate procedures.

If the owner fails to comply with the order, the court will consider additional sanctions up to and including incarceration.

Senior Trial Attorney Maureen Canavan of the Department’s Regional Office of the Solicitor in Boston and Senior Attorney Lisa Wilson of the Department’s Occupational Safety and Health Division in Washington, D.C., litigated on behalf of OSHA.

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA’s role is to ensure these conditions for America’s working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education, and assistance. For more information, visit http://www.osha.gov.