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Pierce County roofer who faked injury pleads guilty to workers? comp fraud?
Aug. 30, 2023
#23-21
OLYMPIA ??A Pierce County man who removed and installed roofs while claiming he was too injured to work has pleaded guilty to stealing workers? compensation benefits.
"Vea abajo para esta informaci?n en espa?ol."
Patrick Dean Farthing, 64, pleaded guilty recently to third-degree theft, a gross misdemeanor.
The Lakewood man had been running his own roofing business at the same time he was receiving wage replacement payments that are intended for injured workers, a Washington State Department of Labor & Industries [ [link removed] ] (L&I) investigation determined in 2020.
Investigators observed Farthing walking on roofs, removing roof tiles, and personally moving construction equipment and heavy materials - the same kinds of tasks he did when working as a roofer before his injury years earlier.
?This is a blatant case of someone working in a physically demanding job, and lying about it to get cash benefits,? said Celeste Monahan, assistant director of L&I?s Fraud Prevention and Labor Standards division.
?I?m thankful to the public for tipping us off to this cheater, and to our L&I team that worked two years investigating this case.?
Repays L&I more than $35,000
Earlier this year, Farthing repaid L&I $35,572, the amount he had wrongfully taken in wage replacement payments from the fall of 2014 to early 2021.
Thurston County Superior Court Judge Anne Egeler in Olympia last week accepted Farthing?s guilty plea. She sentenced him to 20 days in jail, but allowed him to serve the time on electronic home monitoring. The penalty was part of a deferred sentence requiring he have no criminal violations for two years or face up to 364 days in jail.
The Washington State Attorney General?s Office prosecuted the case based on L&I?s investigation.
L&I oversees the state workers? compensation insurance system, which helps injured workers heal and return to work. Employees who can?t work because of their injury and who meet certain conditions can temporarily receive payments for part of their lost wages.?
Tip leads to investigation
Farthing originally injured his shoulder in 2010 while repairing a roof. He qualified for wage replacement payments, and later for a pension, when his medical provider determined the injury prevented him from working as a roofer. In addition, Farthing regularly declared to L&I that he wasn?t working, another requirement to receive the payments.
But in 2018, L&I launched an investigation after receiving a tip that Farthing was again working as a roofer. Investigators discovered he was operating his own roofing company that worked throughout the South Sound.
As part of the investigation, construction compliance inspectors caught Farthing and his work crews roofing houses in Spanaway and Olympia in 2018, according to inspection records.
Farthing sometimes did business as Pat Farthing Roofing or used the alias Adam Lay. They issued him two civil infractions for unregistered contracting, with penalties totaling $5,000; he paid the fines this year.
How to report workers? comp fraud
If you see or suspect someone is cheating the workers? compensation system, contact L&I's Fraud division [ [link removed] ] (Lni.wa.gov/Fraud) or call 1-888-811-5974.
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Patrick Dean Farthing walks on roof in November 2018.
Patrick Dean Farthing works on a rooftop in November 2018.
"Photo credit: L&I Investigations"
30 de agosto de 2023 ?
#23-21
*Un techador del condado de Pierce que fingi? estar lesionado se declara culpable por fraude a la compensaci?n para trabajadores*
OLYMPIA ? Un hombre del condado de Pierce que quitaba e instalaba techos mientras alegaba que no pod?a trabajar debido a su lesi?n, se declar? culpable por robar beneficios de compensaci?n para trabajadores.
Patrick Dean Farthing, de 64 a?os, se declar? culpable recientemente al robo en tercer grado, lo que es un delito serio.
El hombre de Lakewood estaba operando su negocio de techados al mismo tiempo que recib?a pagos de reemplazo de salarios que est?n destinados para trabajadores lesionados, seg?n la determinaci?n de una investigaci?n del Departamento de Labor e Industrias del Estado de Washington [ [link removed] ] (Washington State Labor & Industries, L&I) en 2020.
Los investigadores observaron a Farthing caminando sobre techos, quitando tejas y moviendo equipos de construcci?n y materiales pesados por s? mismo, el mismo tipo de trabajo que hacia cuando trabajaba como techador antes de su lesi?n.
?Es un caso descarado de alguien que realizaba tareas agotadoras y que minti? para recibir beneficios financieros,? dijo Celeste Monahan, subdirectora de la Divisi?n de Prevenci?n de Fraude y Normas Laborales de L&I.
?Estoy agradecida al p?blico por habernos informado de este estafador y al equipo de L&I que trabajaron dos a?os investigando este caso.?
*Reembolsa a L&I m?s de $35,000*
A principios de este a?o, Farthing reembols? $35,572 a L&I, la cantidad de los pagos de reemplazo de salarios que ?l hab?a tomado injustamente desde el oto?o de 2014 hasta los principios de 2021.
La Juez del Corte Superior del Condado de Thurston, Anne Egeler, acept? su declaraci?n de culpabilidad la semana pasada. Ella lo sentenci? a 20 d?as de encarcelamiento, pero le permiti? cumplir su condena en el hogar por medio de vigilancia electr?nica. La pena formaba parte de una condena aplazada que obligaba que no cometiera infracciones penales durante dos a?os o se enfrentar?a hasta 364 d?as de encarcelamiento.
La Oficina del Fiscal General del estado de Washington proces? el caso bas?ndose en la investigaci?n de L&I.
L&I administra el sistema de compensaci?n para trabajadores, que ayuda a los empleados lesionados en el trabajo a recuperarse y volver al trabajo. Los empleados que no pueden trabajar debido a su lesi?n y que cumplen con ciertas condiciones pueden recibir pagos por parte de sus salarios perdidos.
*Una pista conlleva a una investigaci?n *
Farthing originalmente se lastim? su hombro en 2010 mientras estaba reparando un techo. ?l calific? para recibir pagos de reemplazo de salarios y m?s adelante para una pensi?n, cuando su m?dico determin? que su lesi?n le imped?a seguir trabajando como techador. Adem?s, Farthing declar? regularmente con L&I que no estaba trabajando, otro requisito para recibir estos pagos.
Pero en el 2018, L&I inici? una investigaci?n despu?s de recibir un informe que Farthing estaba trabajando como techador. Los investigadores descubrieron que ?l estaba operando su propia compa??a de techado que trabajaba a lo largo del South Sound.
Como parte de la investigaci?n, los inspectores de cumplimiento de la construcci?n atraparon a Farthing y a sus cuadrillas de trabajo techando casas en Spanaway y Olympia en 2018, seg?n los registros de inspecci?n.
En ocasiones Farthing hacia negocios como Pat Farthing Roofing o utilizaba el seud?nimo Adam Lay. Se le emitieron dos infracciones civiles por no ser un contratista registrado, con multas por un total de $5,000. ?l pago estas multas este a?o.
*Como reportar el fraude a la compensaci?n para trabajadores*
Si usted ve o sospecha que alguien est? enga?ando al sistema de compensaci?n para trabajadores, contacte a la divisi?n de fraude de L&I [ [link removed] ] (Lni.wa.gov/es/Fraud) o llame al 1-888-811-5974.
###
*For media information:*?Debby Abe <
[email protected]>, L&I Public Affairs, (360)-902-6043.?
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