Soledad Man Held on False Claim Charges

A Soledad man who sought workers' compensation benefits after he slipped and fell while an inmate at Monterey County Jail will be seeing more jail time.

Municipal Court Judge Jose Velasquez sentenced Cesario Diaz Rodarte, 39, to 120 days in jail Wednesday after finding him guilty last month of filing a false claim.

According to Deputy District Attorney Angela McNulty, Rodarte was serving a term on convictions of suspended license violations when he slipped and hit his head January 22, 1995, while working as an inmate kitchen assistant at the jail.

Rodarte complained of pain to his head, neck, left shoulder and back. He was treated and released from Natividad Medical center and allowed to rest for three days before returning to light kitchen duty at the jail.

Ten months after his release from jail, Rodarte claimed that he could no longer work because of the jail incident, saying he could not lift anything heavier than 15 pounds.

Videotape presented as evidence against Rodarte during the trial showed him pruning a tree, lifting slabs of rock and doing other work he claimed he could not do.

A restitution hearing is scheduled October 3rd to determine the amount of workers' compensation benefits Rodarte must repay.