Youth Detention Guard, his wife and one other busted in Workers Comp scheme

Donna Marter. Photo via facebook

Ricky Marter, 51, his wife Donna Marter, 48, both of Tennent Road in Manalapan and Christine Bradach, 45, of Freehold Township, were arrested this week following their indictments on Monday on insurance fraud charges, according to a statement issued by Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni.

Ricky Marter was employed by the County of Monmouth as a supervising detention officer at the Monmouth County Youth Detention Center (YDC) in January 2010 when he claims to have slipped on water on the floor of the detention center – hitting his head and elbow as he fell. As a result of the slip-and-fall, Ricky Marter filed for workers’ compensation benefits and subsequently filed for an accidental disability pension with the State of New Jersey, claiming permanent and total disability as a result of his fall.

An investigation by the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office Financial Crimes and Public Corruption Bureau was launched after the County of Monmouth contested Ricky Marter’s workers’ compensation application citing he was exaggerating or fabricating his injury.

Ricky and Donna Marter based the workers’ compensation claims on numerous representations to treating and examining physicians, as well as sworn testimony offered by the Marters and Christine Bradach in Workers’ Compensation Court proceedings.

Ricky Marter collected over $84,000 in workers’ compensation benefit payments from Monmouth County and its third party insurer between January 2010 and September 2011. The County discontinued the payments after an internal investigation uncovered the fraudulent nature of the claim.

In January 2011, Ricky Marter applied for an accidental disability retirement pension from the State claiming he was totally and permanently disabled as a result of his slip-and-fall. The application was denied.

Each defendant being charged with one count of second degree Conspiracy to Commit Insurance Fraud, second degree Insurance Fraud, fourth degree Workers’ Compensation Fraud and third degree Perjury. Ricky and Donna Marter also face charges of one count each of second degree Conspiracy, second degree Theft by Deception and second degree Attempted Theft by Deception.

In addition to the conspiracy and insurance fraud charges derived from these representations, all three defendants are also charged with perjury.

If convicted of each of the second degree offenses, each of the defendants faces a sentence of five to ten years in prison.

If convicted of the third degree offenses, they each face a sentence of three to five years in prison.

If convicted of the fourth degree offenses, they each face up to 18 months in state prison.

The Marters’ bail was set at $75,000 each, with not 10% option by Judge John T. Mullaney, Jr., J.S.C. Bradach’s bail was set at $35,000 with no 10% option by Mullaney.

Both women posted bail right away, according to the statement. Ricky Marter was held in the Monmouth County Correctional Institution until posting bail today, according to VineLink.