Former postal employee pleads guilty to $261K workers’ comp fraud

MORGANTON, N.C. — A 74-year-old former postal employee from Morganton pleaded guilty to workers’ compensation fraud in Asheville on Friday.

Sandra Cannon Throneburg admitted to lying about her ability to work in order to receive over $261,000 in benefits from the federal workers’ compensation program. The U.S. Postal Service Office of the Inspector General investigated the case, revealing that she had worked for an accounting firm while claiming disability benefits.

“For years, Throneburg lied about her ability to return to work to keep receiving payments from the federal workers’ compensation program,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson.

“Most postal employees who collect workers’ compensation benefits have legitimate claims. A small percentage, however, abuse the system and cost the Postal Service millions of dollars in fraudulent claims and enforcement costs,” said Kathleen Woodson, Executive Special Agent in Charge of the USPS OIG for the Mid-Atlantic Area Field Office.

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Throneburg was employed as a rural carrier with the U.S. Postal Service in Valdese when she sustained a work-related injury in September 2015. Following the injury, she stopped working and began receiving compensation benefits in October 2015, through the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs.

Despite being required to report any employment or self-employment, Throneburg submitted a form in September 2020 with false information about her employment status. Court documents revealed that between 2016 and 2020, she worked for an accounting firm, performing clerical duties and receiving compensation, which she failed to disclose.

The fraudulent claims resulted in Throneburg receiving over $261,000 in workers’ compensation benefits, while the Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs paid over $278,000 for her medical bills related to her alleged condition. Throneburg pleaded guilty to knowingly making a false statement on a report, an offense carrying a maximum penalty of five years in prison.

Throneburg was released on bond following her plea, and a sentencing date has not yet been set. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is handling the prosecution.

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