An Oroville man faces up to five years in prison after he was convicted on charges of workers’ compensation fraud.

Howard William Neel, 59, was convicted by a jury in Butte County Superior Court Tuesday on five felony counts of workers’ compensation fraud stemming from an incident in 2009, according to a press release issued by the Butte County District Attorney’s Office.

On Dec. 12, 2009, Neel was working for an area security company and putting gas in his company-assigned Ford Crown Victoria when another vehicle slightly backed into the car. Neel claimed he was knocked down in the incident and suffered back, neck and leg pain. He was subsequently taken off work.

Surveillance footage of the incident revealed that Neel was not knocked down and showed him walking normally, only beginning to limp when he was seen by the other person involved in the fender-bender.

“Neel was seen by a variety of doctors during the course of his treatment under his employer’s workers’ compensation insurance and he repeatedly denied any back, neck or leg injuries prior to the December 2009 ‘accident’,” according to the release. “However, an investigation later determined he had suffered the same type of back injury he was now claiming while lifting boxes 10 years prior, which was also treated under the workers’ compensation system.”

Prosecutors also showed that when Neel returned to work Dec. 30, 2009, he claimed to be injured after slipping to his knees after walking over a wet planter, according to the release. He later reported to a workers’ compensation doctor that he fell on his back and shoulder. Photos taken on the day of the slip and fall allegedly showed otherwise. They showed mud on Neel’s trousers but not on his back or shoulder.

Neel also reportedly used a cane when he visited doctors, but undercover surveillance showed that he didn’t use a cane when he worked around his house or with his horses.

Neel is scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 24, and he also faces between $100,000 and $200,000 in restitution.