Postal Service letter carrier indicted for workers’ comp fraud

SACRAMENTO
March 5, 2010 11:15am

Nicki Lee Buxmann, 46, of Sacramento, who has been a letter carrier for the U.S. Postal Service, has been indicted by a federal grand jury on 15 counts of falsely claiming to have been injured on the job and falsely denying that she had outside employment and income.

Prosecutors say she illegally got $278,000 in workers’ compensation benefits.

The indictment alleges that Ms. Buxmann defrauded the United States Postal Service by first claiming that she had injured her back, neck, and shoulder while on the job, and then falsely denying that she had outside employment and income in order to continue receiving benefits.

The indictment alleges that she owned and operated “TNT Takeover/MMA Boxing” and “Fitness 180” in Elk Grove and Roseville, which generated income, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Laurel Loomis Rimon, who is prosecuting the case.

It might be an interesting defense effort, since Ms. Buxmann is shown in a YouTube video showing off her gym.

(See: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQd19B5WLWE)

Ms. Buxmann is also charged with separate counts of theft of United States property and false statements or fraud to obtain federal employee’s compensation related to the false statements she made to the government in seeking compensation payments.

“While the vast majority of postal employees who collect compensation benefits have legitimate claims, a small percentage abuse the system and cost the Postal Service millions of dollars,” says U.S. Postal Service Area Special Agent in Charge Nichole Cooper.

If convicted, Ms. Buxmann faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for mail fraud, 10 years in prison for theft of U.S. property and a five-year term for false statements.

Comments on this story

Jerry 3/7/10 4:14 PM
Thank you to whomever reported this person and to whomever found the evidence to file the charges.