Ex-OC cop caught drinking, dancing at Stagecoach while claiming disability charged with fraud

ORANGE COUNTY, Calif. - A former Westminster police officer and her attorney stepfather have been charged with multiple felonies in connection with a fraudulent workers' compensation scheme totaling over $600,000. 

The former officer claimed complete disability due to a head injury but was seen participating in various activities, including attending Stagecoach, skiing, and running races, according to a statement from the Orange County District Attorney's Office.

What we know:

Nicole Brown, 39, of Riverside, a former Westminster police officer, faces 15 felony charges, including nine counts of making a fraudulent statement to obtain compensation and six counts of making a fraudulent insurance benefit claim. She is also charged with a felony enhancement for committing an aggravated white-collar crime over $100,000. 

Her stepfather, Peter Gregory Schuman, 57, of Buena Park, a licensed attorney specializing in workers' compensation defense, has been charged with one felony count of making a fraudulent insurance benefit claim and one felony count of assisting, abetting, conspiring with, and soliciting a person in an unlawful act. 

The charges stem from claims Brown made regarding a head injury she allegedly sustained on March 21, 2022, while handcuffing a suspect. Despite being released back to work without restrictions by an emergency room doctor, Brown was diagnosed with severe concussion syndrome on March 30, 2022, and subsequently placed on Total Temporary Disability (TTD).

Brown's alleged fraudulent claims cost the city of Westminster over $600,000. This amount included her full salary, which was tax-free, and her associated medical expenses.

The backstory:

When police officers are injured on duty and unable to work, they may be entitled to Total Temporary Disability benefits. 

During the first year of temporary disability due to a work-related injury, officers receive their full, tax-free salary, which is paid by the employing city, county, or state agency. 

If the officer remains temporarily disabled after one year, they transition to regular workers' compensation TTD benefits, receiving two-thirds of their average weekly wage, subject to a statewide maximum. 

These benefits can last up to 104 weeks within a five-year period.

Dig deeper:

While on TTD, Brown consistently complained of headaches, dizziness, sensitivity to light and noise, difficulty processing thoughts and words, and an inability to work on a computer or engage in any screen time. 

However, an investigation revealed significant discrepancies between her claimed disability and her actual activities.

On April 29, 2023, Brown was seen by several individuals at the Stagecoach Music Festival, an event with over 75,000 attendees, loud music, bright lights, and temperatures exceeding 100 degrees. She was observed dancing and drinking. 

This behavior was reported to the Westminster Police Department, which then escalated the case to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office for a workers’ compensation fraud investigation.

Three days after the festival, Brown attended an interactive process Zoom meeting to discuss potential duties she could perform as a police officer. 

During this meeting, Brown claimed she was unable to look at the screen and sat in a dark room. 

Her stepfather, Peter Schuman, attended the meeting and spoke on her behalf, stating she was unable to do paperwork and was uncertain if she could handle phone calls due to her inability to process words or thoughts.

Following this meeting, Brown was admitted to an in-patient center for individuals with traumatic brain injuries.

The investigation further uncovered that three days after her alleged injury, when she called out sick, Brown attended an AYSO soccer conference in San Diego, where she participated in multiple sessions involving PowerPoint presentations. 

While on disability, Brown also ran in two 5K races, went snowboarding and/or skiing in Big Bear and Mammoth, attended three additional AYSO soccer conferences, went to baseball games, played golf, visited Disneyland, and took online courses with a local university.

What's next:

If convicted of a felony, Brown will forfeit any pension credits she accrued back to the date the felony was committed. 

She faces a maximum sentence of 22 years in state prison if convicted on all counts.

Schuman faces a maximum sentence of eight years in state prison if convicted. As a California-licensed attorney, he may also face disciplinary action from the State Bar of California.