A U.S. Postal Service (USPS) employee has been sentenced on charges that he defrauded the New York workers’ compensation system of nearly $10,000 by stealing wage reimbursement checks intended for his then-girlfriend’s deceased mother.
New York State Workers’ Compensation Fraud Inspector General Lucy Lang announced the guilty plea and sentencing of Thomas O. Malicki of Kenmore, NY. He paid full restitution of $9,776.52 and was sentenced to a one-year conditional discharge.
The state’s investigation found that between September 2020 and July 2021, Malicki stole, endorsed, and deposited 18 workers’ compensation benefit checks mailed to his then-girlfriend’s mother after she passed away.
Prosecutors said that in an attempt to conceal his actions, Malicki used the stolen funds to purchase USPS money orders before using the money for personal expenses.
“Postal Service employees are expected to uphold the public’s trust both on and off duty,” said Matthew Modafferi, special agent for the USPS Inspector General.
Is this the future of home insurance in disaster-prone areas: The carrier coordinates the home-hardening work, from connecting homeowners with contractors to installing sensors, and maybe even finances the cost of the mitigation?
“That’s our belief and that’s why we started the company,” said Dan Preston, CEO of the startup known as Stand Insurance Exchange.
The reciprocal launched last week in the Florida market with a tweak to the standard business model and a nod to the growing recognition that more storm-resistant homes may be the best way to limit claims and premiums.
Preston, the former head of tech-heavy Metromile auto insurance company, said that, historically, insurers have had just two main tools at their disposal to manage risky areas: Exit the market altogether, or raise premiums. He believes there’s a third method—working closely with property owners to mitigate the risk and reduce claims and premiums.
“Ultimately, what we’re finding is that in most cases for homeowners, the combined cost of mitigation, with the resulting lower premium, is less than what they’re paying now,” Preston told Insurance Journal.
Stand, one of at least 20 new insurers in the Florida market since historic 2022 legislative reforms took effect, was granted a certificate of authority by the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation in September 2025. That was followed by approval of a takeout offer of 25,000 policies taken from Citizens Property Insurance Corp., the state’s insurer of last resort. So far, only about 1,000 takeouts have been made, but Preston said that’s enough to get started.
