CT judicial marshal injured while restraining inmate charged with workers compensation fraud
A Connecticut judicial marshal who was injured on the job while restraining an inmate is facing workers compensation fraud charges, officials said.
Conor Helberg, 35, of Newington was arrested on May 29 for allegedly illegally attempting to collect workers compensation in the amount of $891.52 while being employed as a judicial marshal with the State of Connecticut Judicial Branch, according to the Connecticut Division of Criminal Justice.
Inspectors from the Workers’ Compensation Fraud Control Unit in the Office of the Chief State’s Attorney charged Helberg with five counts of third-degree forgery and one count each of criminal attempt to commit second-degree larceny by defrauding a public community and fraudulent claim or receipt of benefits, the DCJ said.
On Sept. 26, 2023, Helberg was injured while attempting to restrain an inmate in a cell at New Haven Superior Court, according to the arrest warrant affidavit.
Following the incident, Helberg was assigned light duty work at the New Haven Judicial District courthouse on Church Street. According to state policies, Helberg was required to “report time spent for medical treatment to a supervisor and to submit a medical note from the provider to his supervisor showing the date and time he was receiving medical treatment for the work-related injury,” the warrant affidavit said.
“The State of Connecticut, in coordination with a third-party administrator for the State of Connecticut workers’ compensation claims, will pay an employee their salary if they are working light-duty status and need to attend medical appointments during their shift,” according to the DCJ
Helberg allegedly attempted to receive his salary as workers’ compensation benefits for the hours he claimed he was attending medical appointments by using forged medical notes, the warrant affidavit said.
Helberg turned himself in at the Rocky Hill Police Department on May 29. He was released on a $10,000 non-surety bond and is scheduled to appear in Hartford Superior Court on Wednesday.