Caught on camera: Spokane-area metal fabricator faces felony in $340K workers’ comp scam
SPOKANE — A Spokane-area man who claimed he was too injured to work while operating a metal fabrication shop faces a felony charge in a $340,000 workers’ compensation scam.
Travis Lee Johnson, 52, of Spokane Valley, is scheduled for trial on Nov. 12. He pleaded not guilty recently to first-degree theft in Spokane County Superior Court.
Johnson is accused of fabricating and selling metal products for more than four years while collecting wage-replacement payments from the state fund set aside for injured workers. At the same time, he was telling the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) he couldn’t work due to an on-the-job injury.
An L&I investigation determined Johnson collected more than $340,000 in wage-replacement payments and $25,000 worth of vocational services from mid-March 2018 through October 2022. The Washington State Attorney General’s Office is prosecuting the case based on the investigation.
See L&I Investigations surveillance videos of Travis Lee Johnson lifting sofas off a truck and cranking a trailer jack, activities that were against his doctor’s recommendations for his workplace injuries.
“We are committed to safeguarding the state workers’ compensation fund so it will be there for the injured workers who actually need it,” said Celeste Monahan, assistant director of Fraud Prevention and Labor Standards.
“Potential violators should know that we are constantly on the lookout to detect and prevent fraud – so think twice before attempting it.”
Submitted 57 forms declaring he was not working
Johnson injured his lower back, right arm and hand when he slipped on ice while working as a truck driver in January 2018.
Based partly on Johnson’s statements, his physician determined Johnson could not work because of the injury, according to charging papers.
The doctor’s determination was one of the requirements allowing him to receive payments to replace part of his lost wages. To keep receiving the benefits, Johnson submitted 57 official forms to L&I over 4½ years, declaring he wasn’t working because of his on-the-job injury, charging papers said.
Opens business account just two weeks after workplace injury
L&I began investigating Johnson in May 2022 after suspecting he was doing more physical activity than his doctor recommended.
The investigation found that about two weeks after his injury, Johnson opened a business account with the Washington State Department of Revenue. Using two trade names, Bad Ass Fab and TLJ Fabrication, Johnson made and sold a variety of metal products, including mirror extensions built to attach to semi-trucks carrying wide loads.
Undercover video
An investigator video-recorded Johnson at his shop on multiple days manually lifting heavy items such as sofas and a pickup tailgate, using a hammer and other tools, driving a forklift, and performing other physical, work-related tasks.
After watching investigators’ surveillance videos, Johnson’s doctor said his patient had misrepresented his physical condition and abilities, charging papers said. The doctor concluded that Johnson was actually capable of returning to work on Jan. 22, 2018, the day he opened his business account with the Revenue department
Debby Abe L&I Public Affairs, 360-902-6043
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