COLUMBUS— Deborah Belcher, 40, has been ordered to repay over $55,000 to the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC) after BWC Special Investigations found she was working while still collecting injured worker benefits.
BWC’s Special Investigations Department (SID) launched an investigation into Belcher after receiving an allegation that she was working while receiving BWC disability benefits.
The investigation confirmed that Belcher had returned to her job as a retail associate and cashier at several businesses in Chillicothe, Circleville, and Portsmouth.
On March 5, 2026, Belcher, a Chillicothe local, pleaded guilty to Workers’ Compensation Fraud, a fifth-degree felony…