Physician from Menifee convicted of insurance fraud, perjury

A physician who lives in Menifee and maintained a practice in Murrieta was convicted of seven counts of insurance fraud and seven counts of perjury, the Riverside County District Attorney's Office announced Friday.

The charges against Benjamin Gould Cox, 86, included perjury counts for lying to the California Medical Board regarding his performance during a disciplinary probation. He will be sentenced Nov. 13 at the Hall of Justice in Riverside. The conviction is related to a four-year scheme to defraud workers' compensation insurance companies, according to a news release.

The California Department of Industrial Relations notified the DA's Office that Cox was billing for fraudulent medical-legal reports. In addition, according to the news release, Cox perjured himself in California Medical Board disciplinary probation reports regarding his status. As part of his probation for previous violations, Cox was required to provide quarterly statements to ensure that he was complying with his terms of probation.