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County Employee Charged In Scheme To Fraudulently
Obtain Workers Compensation Benefits

A Cook County employee who claimed to be unable to work due to injuries sustained on the job has been charged with fraud after being caught performing many of the same tasks while working as a fragrance specialist at a department store, according to the office of Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez.

Sharon Sundstrom-Poss, 52, of Chicago, who was employed as a clerk in the Cook County Circuit Court Clerk’s Office when she filed a false claim, has been charged with two counts each of perjury and workers compensation fraud.

Sundstrom-Poss had previously received workers compensation for injuries sustained while working at the Circuit Court Clerk’s Office.  According to prosecutors, a medical evaluation cleared the defendant to return to work in March of 2008, but she did not return to work and filed to continue receiving benefits because she still claimed to be in pain.

While reviewing her claim, investigators became suspicious when they received information that the defendant was working as a fragrance specialist at a Carson Pirie Scott in Countryside. A covert video showed the defendant performing many of the tasks she claimed she could not do at her county job, including lifting heavy boxes, standing for nearly ten straight hours, bending at the knees and waist, and reaching for items on shelves. The investigation also determined that the defendant was driving a vehicle for periods of time significantly longer than what she claimed she was capable of due to her injuries.

While under oath at a subsequent hearing on her claim, the defendant perjured herself when she claimed that she was unable to take a position with the county that would have offered  lighter duties because the drive was longer than she would be able to endure given her physical condition. This testimony contradicted evidence obtained in the investigation, including recordings that showed her driving equal or longer distances, according to prosecutors.
Today the defendant pled not guilty when she appeared before Judge Evelyn Clay who released her on a $50,000 recognizance bond. Her case was continued to June 2.

The public is reminded that criminal charging documents contain allegations that are not evidence of guilty. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the state has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.