Westminster officials are suing former police officer Nicole Brown who was charged earlier this year by the Orange County District Attorney with 15 felonies for allegedly stealing more than $600,000 in worker compensation payments.
Investigators found that Brown allegedly participated in marathons, went to a music festival and took a trip to Disneyland while on disability.
“This former police officer has betrayed the public trust. We owe it to our residents and to the honest, hard-working officers in our police department to seek to recover these funds,” said Mayor Chi Charlie Nguyen in a Wednesday news release announcing the lawsuit.
“Our residents count on us to protect their taxpayer dollars and ensure that employees who are actually injured receive the support they need to recover. Fraud will not be tolerated in Westminster.”
In a complaint filed Tuesday, city officials are now seeking to recuperate the hundreds of thousands of dollars in disability and medical payments and benefits given to Brown.
After the publication of this article, Tom Kielty, Brown’s lawyer, said she is innocent of the charges brought against her and denied her involvement in any scheme to defraud Westminster taxpayers.
“Ms. Brown sustained serious, career-ending injuries in the line of duty,” he wrote in a Friday email.
“It is deeply disappointing that this commitment to public service has been marred by unfounded accusations, not supported by credible evidence or qualified medical opinions. Ms. Brown is confident that the evidence will exonerate her of any wrongdoing and restore her reputation as a valued member of this community.”
Brown was charged earlier this year with nine felony counts of lying to get compensation, six felony counts for making fraudulent insurance benefit claims and is currently facing a maximum sentence of 22 years in state prison.
Her stepfather, Peter Gregory Schuman – an attorney who specializes in defending employers from workers compensation claims, was also charged with one felony count of making a fraudulent insurance claim as well as one felony count for assisting Brown.
He is also being sued by the city.
The charges and the lawsuit come about three years after Brown was hit on the forehead when trying to arrest someone in March 2022.
She was later diagnosed with a severe concussion and placed on Total Temporary Disability due to her claims that she was unable to tolerate loud noises, look at electronic screens and be in bright sunright.
“Being on Total Temporary Disability made Brown eligible to receive her full salary for up to a year and two-thirds of her salary after that. Investigation by Westminster revealed that during the three days she called out sick after her injury, Brown went to several soccer conferences in San Diego,” reads the complaint.
“While collecting disability, Brown ran in two 5K races, went snowboarding and/or skiing in Big Bear and Mammoth, attended baseball games, played golf, went to Disneyland and took online courses with a local university.”
Brown was also seen drinking and dancing at the Stagecoach Music Festival in the Coachella Valley by a fellow officer in 2023, according to the complaint.
“Three days after she returned from the Stagecoach Music Festival she was in an assessment meeting where she alleged that she could not look at the screen, wore glasses for ‘photophobia’ and seemed unable to carry on a conversation.”
Hosam Elattar is a Voice of OC reporter. Contact him at helattar@voiceofoc.org or on Twitter @ElattarHosam.
