Kelly Rocheleau
May 1, 2026
CENTRAL SQUARE, N.Y. (WSYR) — An Oswego County man was sentenced last week for falsely collecting workers’ compensation benefits while hiding his return to work, a fraud inspector for the New York State government said.
58-year-old Christopher Cronk, of Central Square, was sentenced to five years of probation for third-degree insurance fraud, a felony, by Onondaga County Court Judge Gordon Cuffy on April 20, New York State Workers’ Compensation Fraud Inspector General Lucy Lang said in a statement.
The defendant previously pleaded guilty to the charge. As a part of his sentence, Cronk was ordered to pay $10,494 in full restitution to the New York State Insurance Fund. Lang said Cronk’s prosecution stemmed from an investigation by Lang’s office.
In March 2021, Cronk was injured while he was employed by Cutting Edge Painting in the town of Webster and started getting replacement benefits through the New York State Workers’ Compensation Board, Lang said.
Surveillance footage, bank records, and witness statements confirmed Cronk resumed paid painting work at private properties and businesses by March 2022. Lang noted that despite working again, Cronk asserted through that August that he had not picked up any paid work since he was injured. He then obtained over $10,000 in benefits he wasn’t entitled to.
“Workers’ compensation benefits exist to support injured workers while they recover – not to subsidize undisclosed employment,” Lang said in the statement. “Misrepresenting work activity undermines a system that depends on honesty and accountability, and it is a crime.”
