An Upstate New York claimant was arrested Thursday and charged with defrauding a workers’ compensation carrier out of $4,000 in benefits, the state Inspector General’s Office said.

Carolyn Guarnieri, of Depew, was charged with offering a false instrument for filing in the second degree, and petit larceny.

Investigators say Guarnieri began receiving workers’ compensation benefits in 1988 after reportedly injuring her back while moving a patient at the Erie County Home and Infirmary. She reported to her insurance carrier in January 2016 that she had returned to the workforce and earning $100 a week. 

But in fact, Guarnieri was paid $200 per week, according to investigators. By reporting a lower wage, she received $4,000 in improper benefits from January 2016 to April 2017.

Guarnieri is scheduled for a hearing at the Town of Cheektowaga court on Sept. 11, the Inspector General’s Office said.