Former LI Corrections Officer Pleads Guilty To Making False Statement In Connection With Workers' Comp Claim

RONKONKOMA, NY — A former New York City Department of Correction Officer from Ronkonkoma pleaded guilty to a charge of making a false statement in connection with a workers’ compensation claim he made relating to an alleged incident that took place at a facility, the New York State Inspector General's office said Monday.

Jovanny Concepcion, 34, pled guilty to making a false statement related to healthcare matters in District Court for the Southern District of New York and is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 10, officials said.

He has agreed to pay forfeiture in the amount of $232,427, which represents proceeds from the commission of the offense, and restitution in the amount of $232,427, according to officials.

The state Worker’s Compensation Board administers the state’s no-fault workers’ compensation system, which guarantees medical care and cash benefits to people who are injured at work, including employees of the DOC, officials said.

Payments by the board made to DOC employees are paid from the city's treasury, and for years, Concepcion was employed by the DOC as a correction officer, and assigned to work at Rikers Island, according to officials.

During that time, he falsely claimed he was injured while on duty at Rikers Island during incidents with incarcerated individuals requiring the use of force, and made false statements to the board, their own physicians, and independent medical examiners, claiming these fake injuries, officials said.

In total, Concepcion received at least $232,427 in benefits to which he was not entitled, according to officials.

To reduce the risk of future fraud, the DOI issued a May 2025 report in connection with this investigation, and recommended reforms to the DOC and the city's Law Department’s policies and procedures, officials said.

Concepcio began his employment at DOC in June 2017, and at the time of his resignation in April 2021, Concepcion was receiving an annual salary of around $60,355, according to officials.

In a statement, Commissioner of the New York City Department of Investigation Nadia Shihata and Lucy Lang, Inspector General for the State of New York, said the DOI began its investigation after receiving reports from several city agencies, including the City Law Department, about excessive workers’ compensation claims involving City correction officers.

DOI investigated the matter with the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, which is prosecuting this case, and the office of the New York State Inspector General.

Shihata said, “With today’s guilty plea, this former New York City correction officer is held accountable for falsely stating he had an on-the-job injury caused by a use-of-force incident, and must forfeit over $200,000 in workers’ compensation benefits he was not entitled to receive."

"This conviction, and DOI’s public report and recommendations on abuse of the workers’ compensation system by DOC employees, should serve as a powerful deterrent to this type of criminal misconduct," she said.

"I thank the Law Department for referring these concerns to DOI, and for its assistance in this investigation. I also thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and the New York State Inspector General for their continuing commitment to protecting funds that should be preserved for those employees who experience real on-the-job injuries," she added.

Lang said, “This New York City Department of Correction officer breached his duty and undermined the public trust, compromising both the integrity of the workers’ compensation system and the well-being of incarcerated New Yorkers."

"Thank you to my team and to our partners at the New York City Department of Investigation and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York for their partnership in safeguarding the systems that support New York’s workers, and holding accountable those whose greed gives public servants a bad name," she said.