Worker lied about coronavirus to get out of work, shutting Georgia business, FBI says
A Georgia man is facing federal charges after authorities say he faked a positive coronavirus diagnosis to skip out on work.
Santwon Antonio Davis, 34, of Morrow was arrested and charged with defrauding his employer, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia announced Thursday.
Prosecutors said Davis submitted a fake medical excuse letter to his boss, claiming he had COVID-19. Out of concern for employees, the company closed its facility for cleaning and put several people on paid leave while the business was shut down, authorities said in a news release.
The business, which the release doesn’t name, is a Fortune 500 company in Atlanta, prosecutors said. As a result of Davis’ ruse, the company lost over $100,000 and many of his co-workers were needlessly quarantined.
Davis has since admitted that he doesn’t have the virus, prosecutors said.
“The defendant caused unnecessary economic loss to his employer and distress to his coworkers and their families,” U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak said in a statement. “We will take quick action through the Georgia COVID-19 Task Force to put a stop to criminals preying on Georgia companies and the public with Coronavirus-related fraud schemes.”
In March, Davis and his colleagues were informed by their employer that they would get paid time off to quarantine if they came down with the virus, according to the Associated Press. Davis called his boss one week later claiming his mother, who he was living with at the time, had come in contact with someone who had COVID-19 and that he was told he should self-isolate, the outlet reported, citing a sworn statement from an FBI agent filed in court.
His boss cleared him to keep working, however, because “that was a low-risk exposure,” according to AP.
On March 20, Davis reportedly texted his boss saying his mother had developed coronavirus symptoms and that she had been tested and they were waiting for the results. Again, his boss said he could continue working — but Davis never showed up for work, the FBI agent said.
Davis later texted his boss that he and his mother had tested positive for coronavirus. He was asked to produce a copy of his test results, but instead provided human resources with a medical excuse notice alleging he had the virus.
The company’s HR manager suspected it was fraudulent, however, noticing the informal letterhead and the fact that it was unsigned, according to a statement from the FBI agent as reported by AP. The company also called the hospital where Davis claimed he was tested, only to learn it wasn’t doing COVID-19 testing.
Davis was given one last chance to send his test results and was fired when he failed to do so, according to the FBI.
It’s unclear when the Georgia man was arrested. However this isn’t his first brush with the law, according to reports.
Davis is a convicted felon who has served time for crimes including theft by taking and criminal trespassing, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported, citing records from the Georgia Department of Corrections.
He was most recently released from prison in February 2019, according to the newspaper.
This story was originally published May 22, 2020 at 11:46 AM with the headline "Worker lied about coronavirus to get out of work, shutting Georgia business, FBI says."