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Bakersfield Heart Hospital nursing assistant facing 24 charges in worker’s compensation fraud case

Bakersfield Heart Hospital recognized for treatment, given award
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BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — A former nursing assistant at Bakersfield Heart Hospital is facing two dozen felony counts related to alleged worker's compensation fraud.

On Monday, Ava McLean voluntarily appeared in court to surrender on an arrest warrant issued after the filing of the felony charges.

At the arraignment, her bail was set at $75,000 and her release on bail is dependent on an electronic monitoring system.

The 24 felony charges include allegations of workers comp fraud, insurance fraud, concealing material facts and more.

The charges relate to McLean’s time employed as a nurse assistant at the Bakersfield Heart Hospital, and injuries McLean asserted had occurred during the course of that employment.

Investigation conducted by the District Attorney’s Bureau of Investigation revealed a complete history for McLean that exposed the claims about the source of the injury to be fraudulent as well as the considerable efforts taken by McClean on multiple occasions to hide and present false information about the true source of her claimed workplace injury.

The combined losses of the two alleged victims of the insurance fraud are more than $170,000.

Her preliminary hearing is scheduled for March 12.

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