Ex-S. Tahoe post office worker going to prison

Mark E. Leung, 60, of South Lake Tahoe, was sentenced today to one year in prison and ordered to pay $160,000 in restitution for making a false statement to obtain workers’ compensation benefits

According to court documents, Leung worked for the U.S. Postal Service until 1987 when he claimed he sustained a work-related injury. Leung never returned to full-time employment with the Postal Service and began receiving workers’ compensation benefits in 1987.

From September 2007 through November 2012, Leung received approximately $160,000 in benefits from the Department of Labor. To obtain the benefits, Leung submitted an annual certification form and also had his medical providers attest that he could not perform any work due to the pain that limited his mobility and range of movement.

While claiming he was totally disabled from employment, Leung maintained a yearly ski pass in Tahoe; skiing at least 40 days per ski season, according to U.S. Attorney Benjamin Wagner. Wagner also said Leung was observed performing arduous physical labor on numerous days.

— Lake Tahoe News staff report