Washington Dairy Worker Pleads Guilty in $122K Workers’ Comp Scam

A dairy worker in Skagit County, Washington who said he was too injured to work pleaded guilty to illegally taking workers’ compensation payments.

Efrain Alatorre Camarena, 58, pleaded guilty to three counts of third-degree theft and was ordered to repay the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries more than $140,000. The sum includes $122,000 he reportedly stole in a period of three-and-a-half years plus interest.

A judge also sentenced Alatorre to 160 hours of community service and two years of probation.

Alatorre reportedly injured his neck and back in 2006 when he fell while chasing a runway cow at his dairy farm job. A doctor concluded he couldn’t work because of his injuries, so Alatorre began receiving wage replacement benefits, which required him to refrain from working because of the injuries.

An a L&I investigation discovered Alatorre was working at another dairy farm in Skagit County while still receiving wage-replacement payments.

He reportedly earned $172,000 working on the dairy farm, while at the same time he collected $122,000 in workers’ comp benefits from January 2020 through mid-August 2023.

The Washington State Office of the Attorney General prosecuted the case based on the L&I’s investigation.

Topics Workers' Compensation Agribusiness Washington