WA Dairy Worker Charged in $122K Worker’s Comp Scam

Washington Labor and Industries says a Skagit County dairy worker is facing a huge fraud charge.

  The worker returned to duties at other businesses

The worker, identified as Efrain Alatorre Camarena, is facing a felony charge for his role in defrauding worker's comp funds.

Camarena is being sought, his whereabouts are not known. He began taking L-I payments in 2006 after an injury. He was chasing a cow and fell.  He took the payments for five years, then resumed them in 2020 following surgery on his neck and back related to the injuries.

A doctor determined he could not work due to his injuries, and he continued to sign paperwork certifying he was not working.

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A L-I investigator learned Camarena was taking L-I payments, but between 2020 and 2023 had resumed working for another dairy where he made $172,000  according to pay stubs. Labor and Industries workers  came across the fraud while conducting routine checks cross referencing those receiving L-I payments and employment records.

An arrest warrant was issued after the suspect failed to show up for an arraignment last week.