Melbourne-based plastic surgeon Mauricio Castellon is facing felony charges after investigators say he violated stop work orders from the state for operating without workers compensation insurance. Castellon, 56, who lives in Satellite Beach, was arrested on June 18 and charged with one count each of failing to secure workers’ compensation insurance and workers’ compensation fraud. He has since been released on bond from the Brevard County Jail.
Investigators with the Florida Department of Financial Services said Castellon Plastic Surgery Center, at 1499 S. Harbor City Blvd., had been notified multiple times about a lapse in its workers’ compensation insurance coverage.
As a result, investigative reports show that Castellon was issued a stop-work order until he addressed the lapse in coverage. Investigators visited Castellon’s office multiple times in March 2024 when multiple employees were found working despite the state’s stop-work order, according to the arrest affidavit.
Office staff at Castellon’s practice told investigators that they believed the insurance was current but were unable to provide records on multiple occasions, the affidavit states. Castellon told detectives the lapse in coverage was the fault of a former employee who “abandoned” their job responsibilities. But the former employee told investigators Castellon had been properly informed about the lapse and the stop-work order and had ignored them. No future court dates have been set for Castellon as of June 20.
Tyler Vazquez is the Brevard County Watchdog Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Vazquez at 321-480-0854 or [email protected]. Twitter: @tyler_vazquez.
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Melbourne plastic surgeon faces charges of workers’ compensation fraud
Read the full article here
