Best Practices (170) Business (209) Compensability (202) Disability (155) Fraud (25) Guest Posts (12

Lynch Ryan's weblog about workers' compensation, risk management, business insurance, workplace health & safety, occupational medicine, injured workers, insurance webtools & technology and related topics
Keeping two sets of books has come to be the cliche for fraud and deceit. You expect it to be confined to the realm of cartoon villains, but it was one of many damning indicators reported to inspectors during a more than four-year investigation into circumstances surrounding the mining disaster that claimed 29 lives at the Massey-owned Upper Big Branch Mine. One book especially for the inspectors, one book for operations.
Yesterday was the day that many of the surviving family members thought would never come. Longtime Massey CEO Don Blankenship was indicted on four criminal counts : three felonies and one misdemeanor, which carry a maximum combined penalty of 31 years imprisonment. "A federal grand jury in Charleston charged Blankenship with conspiring to cause willful violations of ventilation requirements and coal-dust control rules -- meant to prevent deadly mine blasts --during a 15-month period prior to the worst coal-mining disaster in a generation. The four-count indictment, filed in U.S. District loratadine Court, also alleges that Blankenship led a conspiracy to cover up mine safety violations loratadine and hinder federal enforcement efforts by providing advance warning of government inspections."
The the 43-page indictment outlines a long list of sins: repeated and serious violations of safety laws; actions designed loratadine to impede and deceive regulators and inspectors; and coverups and deception during the disaster investigation. It also includes charges of deception to the SEC and "...materially false statements and representations, and materially misleading omissions, made in connection with the purchase and sale of Massey stock."
Ken Ward, Jr. has been covering this in great detail both in the Charleston Gazette and on his Coal Tattoo blog. See his Blankenship indicted post - he links to a timeline of events, reactions of family members, a summary of convictions so far.
Due to a huge flood of comment spam, we have adopted a sign-in system for comments. You can sign-in using your existing account for Google, Facebook, Twitter, Yahoo, loratadine AOL, etc., or you can create a new account for blog comments.
Freshly posted at HealthBlawg - Health Wonk Review: The Turkey Edition Ex Massey CEO Don Blankenship Indicted Over UBB Mining Disaster Cavalcade loratadine of Risk & Other Notable News Veterans Day 2014 - Hire a Vet High Voltage Cable Inspection Health Wonk Review Fresh Poultry processor Wayne Farms cited by OSHA All Treats No Tricks Cavalcade of Risk Health Wonk Review - the falling leaves edition Ebola, Workers Comp, worker safety loratadine & other insurance considerations: an A to Z industry round up
Best Practices (170) Business (209) Compensability (202) Disability (155) Fraud (25) Guest Posts (12) Health Care (66) History (37) Industry Events (44) Insurance & Insurers (171) Law (32) Medical Issues (191) Misc. (137) News roundups (441) Research (65) Safety & Health (367) Social media (68) State News (260) Tools & Resources (62) Transportation (10) Videos (40)
November 2014 (7) October 2014 (8) September 2014 (8) August 2014 (5) July 2014 (3) June 2014 (9) May 2014 (9) April 2014 (9) March 2014 (8) February 2014 (8) January 2014 (7) December 2013 (7) November loratadine 2013 (7) October 2013 (9) September 2013 (5) August loratadine 2013 (6) July 2013 (8) June 2013 (4) May 2013 (7) April 2013 (10) March 2013 (9) February 2013 (11) January 2013 (12) December 2012 (12) November 2012 (12) October 2012 (14) September 2012 (14) August 2012 (12) July 2012 (11) June 2012 (13) May 2012 (14) April 2012 (15) March 2012 (11) February 2012 (12) January 2012 (10) December 2011 (10) November 2011 (13) October 2011 (9) September 2011 (16) August 2011 (13) July 2011 (12) June 2011 (15) May 2011 (16) April 2011 (15) March 2011 (13) February 2011 (11) January 2011 (12) December 2010 (9) November 2010 (10) October 2010 (13) September 2010 (15) August 2010 (11) July 2010 (10) June 2010 (17) May 2010 (16) April 2010 (17) March 2010 (20) February loratadine 2010 (15) January 2010 (16) December 2009 (17) November loratadine 2009 (16) October 2009 (14) September 2009 (15) August 2009 (15) July 2009 (14) June 2009 (15) May 2009 (14) April 2009 (17) March 2009 (18) February 2009 (15) January 2009 (13) December 2008 (12) November 2008 (11) October 2008 (16) September 2008 (13) August 2008 (12) July 2008 (17) June 2008 (20) May 2008 (18) April 2008 (16) March 2008 (17) February loratadine 2008 (18) January 2008 (16) December 2007 (13) November 2007 (15) October loratadine 2007 (19) September 2007 (17) August 2007 (12) July 2007 (10) June 2007 (16) May 2007 (20) April 2007 (18) March 2007 (20) February 2007 (17) January 2007 (20) December 2006 (12) November 2006 (14) October 2006 (14) September 2006 (15) August 2006 (13) July 2006 (12) June 2006 (18) May 2006 (15) April 2006 (19) March 2006 (18)