Probe Ends In North Haven State Senator’s Workers’ Comp Case: DCJ

NORTH HAVEN, CT — The Connecticut Division of Criminal Justice announced Thursday that it has ended its review of a complaint filed by the North Haven Democratic Town Committee regarding State Senator Paul Cicarella (R-North Haven).

The DCJ Workers’ Compensation Fraud Control Unit in the Office of the Chief State’s Attorney has “reviewed the factual allegations that underlie the complaint relating to Senator Cicarella’s application for, and subsequent granting of, workers’ compensation benefits for an injury suffered while Senator Cicarella was employed by the Connecticut Department of Correction in 2008,” according to a news release.

Prosecutors said the original complaint came from Steve Gifford, vice chair of the North Haven Democratic Town Committee.

Hearst Connecticut Media recently reported that Cicarella collected $123,000 in workers’ compensation payments between 2008 and 2014 after getting injured while working for the state as a correctional officer.

Hearst reported that its investigation found that during that time, Cicarella never reported that he opened a private investigation company in 2010, and also was a paid wrestling coach for East Haven Public Schools and rented a three-family home that he bought in 2011.

In the DCJ statement, officials said the fraud control unit reviewed the Workers’ Compensation Commission databases and “determined that the case had been settled with a stipulated agreement in a Workers’ Compensation Commission hearing on August 14, 2014.”

“According to the Workers’ Compensation Commission, the stipulated agreement resulted in a 2014 lump sum payout of $25,000 to Mr. Cicarella,” officials wrote in the news release. “Robert Giuditta, Director of Connecticut Workers’ Compensation at the Department of Administrative Services, indicated Mr. Cicarella did not receive any further benefits after 2014.

“The statute of limitations for potential criminal conduct arising out of these allegations expired in 2019. Therefore, since prosecution of any conduct related to this matter would be barred by the relevant statute of limitations, the DCJ will not be continuing any investigation and considers the matter closed.

“The Division of Criminal Justice has not received any referrals from the Office of the State Comptroller, the Connecticut Medical Examining Board or the Office of Policy and Management regarding any potential illegal conduct surrounding Mr. Cicarella’s current disability pension. The Office of the State Comptroller’s review of Mr. Cicarella’s pension is ongoing. Absent a referral from the agencies responsible for determining the validity of pension qualifications, the DCJ has no basis to conduct a criminal investigation.”