Washington Roofer Who Faked Injury Pleads Guilty to Workers’ Comp Fraud

A Pierce County, Washington man who removed and installed roofs while claiming he was too injured to work has pleaded guilty to stealing workers’ compensation benefits.

Patrick Dean Farthing, 64, pleaded guilty recently to third-degree theft, a gross misdemeanor.

The Lakewood man had reportedly been running his own roofing business at the same time he was receiving wage replacement payments intended for injured workers, a Washington State Department of Labor & Industries investigation determined.

Investigators reportedly observed Farthing walking on roofs, removing roof tiles, and personally moving construction equipment and heavy materials.

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 and sentenced him to 20 days in jail, but she 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.