Staff
December 12, 2025
ALBANY, N.Y. (WNYT) – A former worker at a Washington County prison has admitted to faking a workplace injury to obtain nearly $70,000 in workers’ compensation and benefits.
Jennifer Bardin-Lapan pleaded guilty in Washington County Court to one felony count of workers’ compensation fraud, New York State Inspector General Lucy Lang announced on Friday.
Bardin-Lapan worked at Great Meadow Correctional Facility, which closed in November 2024.
She claimed that she had hurt her back, knee, and groin during an incident with an inmate, prosecutors said. Bardin-Lapan provided contradictory accounts, and the inspector general determined that her claims were false. They were directly refuted by two separate videos that showed no fall, trauma or any contact that would have caused the injuries.
Bardin-Lapan agreed to pay $40,000 in restitution and waive any future rights to benefits for workers’ compensation claims.
“This case represented a serious breach of public trust and an intentional abuse of the workers’ compensation system,” Lang said in a statement. “The evidence demonstrated beyond question that the defendant fabricated her injury claims, diverting resources intended for legitimately injured workers. I commend our investigative team and our partners in the Washington County District Attorney’s Office for bringing this matter to a just conclusion.”
