District Attorney Gregory D. Totten recently announced that Ventura County resident John Arcurio, 47, pleaded guilty to one felony count of workers’ compensation fraud and a second felony count of insurance fraud, following an investigation conducted by the Criminal Investigations Branch of the California Department of Insurance.

On March 14, 2003, while working at Moorpark College, Arcurio brought a workers’ compensation claim following an injury to his right knee. He received treatment for his injury, was granted leave from work and was given regular compensation for living expenses.

While still receiving benefits, on May 12, 2003 Arcurio obtained employment as a landscape supervisor at Mariposa Horticultural. He failed to inform his insurance carrier or his doctors about this new employment.

Arcurio was questioned by investigators in June 2003 about any employment after his injury. He denied any such employment, even though he was still working at Mariposa while receiving benefits. Arcurio received income from both Mariposa and workers’ compensation from May through July 2003.

He was interviewed a second time in May 2004 and again lied. On June 22, 2005 he pleaded guilty to fraud.

Arcurio remains out of custody on a $10,000 bond pending his sentencing hearing scheduled for Wed., Aug. 24 at Ventura County Superior Court. The maximum sentence for these two crimes is six years in prison.