HARRISBURG, PA — Attorney General Michelle Henry announced the sentencing of a Delaware woman, Victoria Newell-Brown, to a 5 to 10-year prison term for orchestrating a sophisticated worker’s compensation scam. The scam, which unfolded over two and a half years and spanned Pennsylvania and Delaware, defrauded a Pennsylvania employer of more than $170,000.
Under the alias “Victoria Stephens,” Newell-Brown pleaded guilty to ten felonies related to fraudulent injury claims at a Family Dollar store in Philadelphia and a restaurant in Delaware. A Delaware County Judge also ordered her to pay $170,655 in restitution.
The Attorney General highlighted the impact of Newell-Brown’s actions, emphasizing that the scam exploited a system meant to support genuinely injured workers. Newell-Brown’s criminal history, which includes a dozen prior convictions mostly for felonies dating back to the 1980s, was noted during her sentencing.
Newell-Brown’s fraudulent activities began in 2019 when she falsely claimed to have been injured at the Family Dollar, leading to substantial payouts over more than two years. She then employed a similar deceit at a Delaware restaurant, securing disability benefits from both states until 2021.
To perpetuate her fraud, Newell-Brown provided false information about her health, employment, and medical history to employers, healthcare providers, and legal authorities. The scam resulted in over $97,000 in worker’s compensation and wage-loss benefits, in addition to more than $75,600 in medical expenses and legal costs borne by her employer.