Washington Dairy Worker Charged in $122K Workers’ Comp Scam

A Washington farmhand faces felony charges for reportedly stealing more than $122,000 workers’ compensation benefits.

Efrain Alatorre Camarena was charged with felony theft for allegedly collecting workers comp payments while discreetly working at another dairy farm.

A Washington State Department of Labor & Industries investigation uncovered the reported fraud. Investigators determined that Camarena, 58, was working on another dairy farm while receiving more than $172,000 in income. During that time, he was reportedly also collecting more than $122,000 in L&I payments for more than three years

Camarena reported that he suffered neck and back pain due to an accident with a runaway cow at a Skagit County dairy in the 2006. A doctor determined he could not work. He took the L&I payments directly after his injury for more than five years, and then again later, starting in early 2020, after he had surgery related to his original injury, according to L&I.

In 2023, L&I investigators discovered Alatorre was working despite his statements to L&I that he was unable to work.