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Bartow Business Owner Faces Fraud Charges After Burn Death

March 10, 2006

A Bartow electric company owner is facing felony charges following the 2004 death of a worker who suffered fatal burns after an electrical transformer exploded.

Edward L. Bee, 47, owner of Bee Corporation, Incorporated, doing business as Harris Electric, is accused of failing to provide workers' compensation coverage for the worker, thereby potentially preventing the employee's family from not receiving death benefits.

Bee was arrested Thursday on a warrant charging him with workers' compensation fraud and grand theft, both third-degree felonies punishable by up to five years in prison and $5,000 in fines. He was booked into the Polk County jail with bond set at $2,000.

The department's Division of Insurance Fraud conducted the investigation that led to Bee's arrest. The investi-gation began in September 2004, when First Financial Leasing, Incorporated, of Port Charlotte, contacted the department's fraud hot line. First Financial said that Bee was trying to submit an application for James Blundell after the accident had already occurred.

Blundell was working at U.S. Agri-Chemical, Incorpo- rated, in Fort Meade on September 11, 2004, when the accident occurred. He died three days later.

Fraud detectives learned that Bee was paying Blundell and several other part-time employees with a company check and not reporting the payroll to the leasing company.

Bee's company account was subpoenaed and checks for 'contract labor' during 2003-2004 were found on a second payroll that was not being reported to the leasing company.

The Department of Financial Services, Division of Insurance Fraud, investigates fraud in all types of insurance, including health, life, auto, property and workers' compensation.

A reward of up to $25,000 may be offered for information leading to a conviction.