Ex-Westminster police officer accused of insurance fraud

An ex-Westminster police officer is facing charges that include fraud after she was seen partying, traveling and attending Stagecoach while out on disability leave, according to the Orange County District Attorney's Office.

Nicole Brown, 39, of Riverside, was charged Friday with nine counts of making a fraudulent statement to obtain compensation and six counts of making a fraudulent insurance benefit claim, all felonies, and faces a sentencing enhancement of aggravated white collar crime exceeding $100,000.

Her stepfather, attorney Peter Gregory Schuman, 57, of Buena Park, was also linked to the case. He was charged with a count of making a fraudulent insurance benefit claim and a count of assisting, abetting, conspiring with and soliciting a person in an illegal act, both felonies.

Schuman was suspended for two years as an attorney in September 2008 for failing to perform duties for his clients, but it was stayed and he was placed on probation for three years, according to state bar records. A message left for Peter Schuman was not immediately returned.

Brown sustained a scratch to her forehead as she was arresting and handcuffing a suspect on March 21, 2022, prompting her to complain to her commander about a headache and dizziness, but an emergency room doctor treated and released her and said she could go back to work, according to the Orange County District Attorney's Office.

She called in sick for several days and on March 30, 2022, she was diagnosed with a severe concussion and was placed on temporary disability, prosecutors said.

Her attorney provided a statement Wednesday.

"Ms. Brown suffered a debilitating head injury while on duty," attorney Brian Gurwitz said in an email to NBCLA. "She intends to vigorously challenge these allegations."

Workers receive up to a year of full salary under temporary disability and can receive two-thirds of their salary after that. Brown cost the city more than $600,000, which included her full salary and medical expenses, prosecutors said.

Brown continued to complain of headaches, dizziness, light and noise sensitivity and other symptoms, prosecutors said. But witnesses saw her drinking and dancing at the Stagecoach Music Festival April 29, 2023, and reported it to her department, prosecutors said.

Investigators also found that a few days after she was injured on duty she attended an AYSO soccer conference in San Diego and later ran in two 5K races, enjoyed snowboarding and skiing in Big Bear and Mammoth and attended three more AYSO conferences, prosecutors said. She also went to baseball games, played golf, spent time at Disneyland and took online courses with a local university despite complaints of difficulty with screen time, prosecutors allege.

After witnesses reported Brown's attendance at the music festival, Schuman represented her in a Zoom meeting with supervisors to determine what duties she could perform, prosecutors said. Schuman said she could not do any paperwork and was skeptical she could handle phone calls because of difficulty
processing words or thoughts, prosecutors alleged.

Brown allegedly checked into a center for traumatic brain injuries after the meeting with her attorney and city officials.

NBCLA's Jonathan Lloyd contributed to this report.