A beauty pageant contestant was briefly taken to jail on Friday – and not for stealing your heart (<—cheeseball, sorry). 22-year-old Shawna Lynn Palmer from Riverside was arrested for workers’ comp. fraud. It is alleged that Shawna claimed a foot injury was too painful for her to work her clerk job at Stater Brothers – but the same foot was perfectly fine to wear heels in a beauty pageant.
A release from The California Department of Insurance states:
Palmer worked as a clerk at Stater Brothers and on March 10, 2014 reported to her employer that she fractured a toe on her left foot at work. During multiple doctor visits Palmer claimed that she could not place any weight on her foot, could not move it in any direction, or wear a shoe for any length of time. Palmers’ doctor provided an ortho shoe, crutches, and gave her orders to refrain from working and to elevate her foot whenever possible. Palmer stated that she was not able to work due to her foot injury and continued to collect workers’ compensation benefits.
While collecting workers’ comp benefits, Palmer participated in at least two beauty contests wearing high heels and walking without any signs of discomfort. Video was posted on YouTube of Palmer as a contestant in the 2014 Miss Toyota Long Beach Grand Prix beauty contest.
Palmer, if convicted, faces up to one year in county jail, three years of probation, and restitution of $24,000.
Byron Tucker, deputy commissioner at the California Department of Insurance told ABC 7 that collecting evidence against Palmer was not difficult:
“You can’t post things to social media while claiming that you’re legitimately injured, taking a check from the state for worker’s compensation benefits and expect not to get caught,” Tucker said.
I am not one to game the system, but if I did – I might check out the privacy settings on my Facebook. Just sayin’.
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