The page details an attempt by wannabe actor Bill Garrity to defraud the Screen Actors Guild out of Medical Insurance.
Back in 2002, since he was unable to get a real acting job to support his family and qualify for medical coverage, he and his wife Danielle Fenton concocted a scheme to make a vanity film, act as if Mr. Garrity was being paid enough to reach the threshold for the Health Plan, and defraud the Screen Actor's Guild out of a family medical plan. Unfortunately for them, SAG is wise to these schemes.
Mr. Garrity has also been investigated by state and local authorities for other more serious transgressions. According to his wife, Danielle Fenton, these include allegations of child abuse made by her first child's father. He has committed assault in right in front of the New York County Criminal Courts building, and has made threats of physical violence. So this "blog" will expose Mr. Garrity for the liar and fraudster he is, and prove that his veracity is questionable at best.
As you'll read in the letter below from Roxanne Fitzgerald, Assistant Manager of the SAG Contribution Compliance Department, SAG determined that Mr. Garrity's attempt to obtain medical coverage through the Screen Actors Guild - Producers Health Plan was an obvious fraud, and a fairly transparent one at that.
After investigating Mr. Garrity's claim, SAG sent him the following Notice of Denial which is quoted in its entirety:
February 27, 2002
CERTIFIED MAIL
RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED
Receipt No: 7099-3220-0066-7879-9332
RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED
Receipt No: 7099-3220-0066-7879-9332
Mr. Bill Garrity
xxx xxxx xxxxxxxxxx xxxxxx x x-x
xxx xxxx, xx xxxxx-xxxx
Re: Notice of Denial of Benefits and Further Plan Participation
Opportunity to Appeal Bill Garrity - xxx-xx-xxxx - "Dare Me"
Dear Mr. Garrity:
Participant: BillGarrity
SSN: xxx-xx-xxxx
Amount Reported: $7,500.00
Year & Quarter: 2001-1
Eligibility Period affected: July 1, 2001 through June 30, 2002 (Plan II)
xxx xxxx xxxxxxxxxx xxxxxx x x-x
xxx xxxx, xx xxxxx-xxxx
Re: Notice of Denial of Benefits and Further Plan Participation
Opportunity to Appeal Bill Garrity - xxx-xx-xxxx - "Dare Me"
Dear Mr. Garrity:
The Administration of the Screen Actors Guild - Producers Pension Plan (the "Pension Plan"), and the Screen Actors Guild - Producer Health Plan (the "Health Plan") (collectively, the Pension and Health Plans are referred to herein as the "Plans") have determined that you are ineligible to continue to participate in the Plans or receive benefits from the plans for the following years:
Participant: BillGarrity
SSN: xxx-xx-xxxx
Amount Reported: $7,500.00
Year & Quarter: 2001-1
Eligibility Period affected: July 1, 2001 through June 30, 2002 (Plan II)
The earnings in the amount of $7,500.00 reported on your behalf, which established eligibility commencing on July 1, 2001 through June 30, 2002 (Plan II) are not acceptable. Your earned Health Plan eligibility has been terminated for the period mentioned. Pension Plan earning credit will also not reflect the $7,500.00 compensation reported on your behalf in 2001.
Based on the Plans' review of all available information, the Plans have concluded that you did not in fact perform all or some of the covered services for which compensation was reported to the Plans, and that you did not in fact receive compensation for covered services in the amount reported to the Plans.
Contributions appear not to be in accordance with the applicable collective bargaining agreement. The amount of compensation reported is not supported by the documentation provided for our review, and your prior earnings history does not support the amount of compensation reported. Given the fact that you are married to the project's writer/producer/owner, you are in a position to manipulate the level of compensation reported to the Plans. The amount of compensation reported is just sufficient to provide eligibility, suggesting that the reporting was merely a mechanism to obtain coverage.
Your eligibility for health benefits under the Screen Actors Guild - Producers Health Plan has been terminated for the following periods:
Earned Eligibility: July 1, 2001 through June 30, 2002 (Plan II)
Please be advised that if a further audit is performed on other period earnings and it is found that the contributions are not in accordance with the Screen Actors Guild Collective Bargaining Agreement, benefits derived from those eligibility periods may be terminated, including enrollment in the Self Pay Program. In such case, the Self Pay premiums already received may be applied against benefits paid, and if benefits paid exceed Self Pay premiums, the Self Pay enrollee will be LIABLE to the Screen Actors Guild for the difference.
To the extent that contributions were insufficient to reimburse the Plans for claims and benefits paid with respect to the ineligible employee, these amounts must be repaid to the Plans. A review of your expenditures is being conducted at this time. You will be notified at a later date if expenses incurred by you exceeded contributions which must be repaid to the Plans, or if a refund is due to Moviebaby Productions, Inc. To the extent that additional claims and benefits are paid, the additional amount must also be repaid to the Plans.
If you wish to appeal, you must provide evidence to establish that covered services were performed and/or that compensation was paid to you for covered services. Please provide information responsive to, but not limited to, the points above.
Please review the enclosed Appeals Procedure carefully. You have sixty (60) days in which to appeal the above-determinations of the Board of Trustees. During this sixty day period, you may attempt to provide evidence that (1) the contributions made to the Plans were appropriately made or that you are eligible to participate in the Plans; (2) contributions were made only as a mistake of fact or of law; (3) contributions were not made with knowledge that you were ineligible to participate in the Plans; or (4) even if these contributions were made with the knowledge that you were ineligible, the claims and benefits paid with respect to you as stated above are inaccurate. IF YOU DO NOT RESPOND TO THIS LETTER WITHIN SIXTY (60) DAYS, THE DETERMINATIONS OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES WILL BECOME FINAL.
If, after appeal, the Board of Trustees makes a final determination that you are eligible to receive Plan benefits, you will be reinstated and eligible to receive all benefits for which you qualify.
Sincerely,
Roxanne Fitzgerald, Assistant Manager
Contribution Compliance Department
RF/mw
Based on the Plans' review of all available information, the Plans have concluded that you did not in fact perform all or some of the covered services for which compensation was reported to the Plans, and that you did not in fact receive compensation for covered services in the amount reported to the Plans.
Contributions appear not to be in accordance with the applicable collective bargaining agreement. The amount of compensation reported is not supported by the documentation provided for our review, and your prior earnings history does not support the amount of compensation reported. Given the fact that you are married to the project's writer/producer/owner, you are in a position to manipulate the level of compensation reported to the Plans. The amount of compensation reported is just sufficient to provide eligibility, suggesting that the reporting was merely a mechanism to obtain coverage.
Your eligibility for health benefits under the Screen Actors Guild - Producers Health Plan has been terminated for the following periods:
Earned Eligibility: July 1, 2001 through June 30, 2002 (Plan II)
Please be advised that if a further audit is performed on other period earnings and it is found that the contributions are not in accordance with the Screen Actors Guild Collective Bargaining Agreement, benefits derived from those eligibility periods may be terminated, including enrollment in the Self Pay Program. In such case, the Self Pay premiums already received may be applied against benefits paid, and if benefits paid exceed Self Pay premiums, the Self Pay enrollee will be LIABLE to the Screen Actors Guild for the difference.
To the extent that contributions were insufficient to reimburse the Plans for claims and benefits paid with respect to the ineligible employee, these amounts must be repaid to the Plans. A review of your expenditures is being conducted at this time. You will be notified at a later date if expenses incurred by you exceeded contributions which must be repaid to the Plans, or if a refund is due to Moviebaby Productions, Inc. To the extent that additional claims and benefits are paid, the additional amount must also be repaid to the Plans.
If you wish to appeal, you must provide evidence to establish that covered services were performed and/or that compensation was paid to you for covered services. Please provide information responsive to, but not limited to, the points above.
Please review the enclosed Appeals Procedure carefully. You have sixty (60) days in which to appeal the above-determinations of the Board of Trustees. During this sixty day period, you may attempt to provide evidence that (1) the contributions made to the Plans were appropriately made or that you are eligible to participate in the Plans; (2) contributions were made only as a mistake of fact or of law; (3) contributions were not made with knowledge that you were ineligible to participate in the Plans; or (4) even if these contributions were made with the knowledge that you were ineligible, the claims and benefits paid with respect to you as stated above are inaccurate. IF YOU DO NOT RESPOND TO THIS LETTER WITHIN SIXTY (60) DAYS, THE DETERMINATIONS OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES WILL BECOME FINAL.
If, after appeal, the Board of Trustees makes a final determination that you are eligible to receive Plan benefits, you will be reinstated and eligible to receive all benefits for which you qualify.
Sincerely,
Roxanne Fitzgerald, Assistant Manager
Contribution Compliance Department
RF/mw
