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Skagit County dairy worker pleads guilty to workers compensation fraud

Bellingham, WALocal News

Efrain Alatorre Camarena, a 58-year-old dairy worker from Skagit County, pleaded guilty to fraudulently collecting over $100,000 in workers' compensation benefits on September 17. After sustaining neck and back injuries in 2006, he received benefits intermittently for several years. An investigation by the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) revealed that Camarena failed to report his employment at another dairy for at least three and a half years. The Skagit County Superior Court judge ordered him to repay L&I over $140,000, in addition to imposing a two-year probation and 160 hours of community service. L&I confirmed that Camarena has started to repay the funds he fraudulently obtained.

This case underscores the challenges of addressing workers' compensation fraud in Washington state. The ruling aims to deter similar fraudulent activities by holding offenders accountable. Furthermore, it emphasizes the importance of transparency and honesty in workers' compensation claims.

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