Fraud charges filed against Atherton dispatcher Fraud charges filed against Atherton dispatcher (January 14, 2004)

By Andrea Gemmet

Almanac Staff Writer

A former Atherton police dispatcher is facing felony charges of workers compensation fraud for allegedly faking the severity of a knee injury.

Investigators for Atherton's insurance broker allegedly caught Anita Beatriz Blick, 52, squatting and lifting heavy rocks in December 2000, said Deputy District Attorney Kathryn Alberti. Ms. Blick claimed she fell down while answering the phone in 1996 and was too injured to continue working as a result, said Ms. Alberti.

Ms. Blick was employed by the town from May 1991 until November 1997, said Linda Kelly, the assistant to Atherton's city manager. The decision to investigate Ms. Blick was made by Cities Group, a five-city insurance pool that Atherton belongs to, said Atherton City Attorney Marc Hynes.

Prosecutors said workers compensation payments and medical expenses, including knee surgery, totaled more than $150,000.

Ms. Blick was arraigned in San Mateo Superior Court on January 7 on six counts of fraud, and faces trial in May.

Bay City News Service contributed to this report.

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