Yelm man tries to pass off a bar fight as a workplace injury, pleads guilty on Tuesday
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A 40-year-old Yelm man pleaded guilty on Tuesday to misrepresenting a bar fight as a workplace accident and stealing workers’ compensation insurance benefits from the state.
Chuck Wayne Riccio agreed to a plea deal that resulted in him pleading guilty of third-degree theft, a gross misdemeanor offense, according to a Washington state Department of Labor and Industries press release.
“This was a flagrant example of someone trying to cheat the workers’ compensation system,” said Chris Bowe, L&I’s assistant director of Fraud Prevention and Labor Standards. “We take every fraud case seriously, and we take action when we catch cheaters.”
As part of his sentence, Thurston County Superior Court Judge Sharonda Amamilo ordered Riccio to pay court costs and reimburse L&I for a total of $828, court documents show.
L&I operates the state worker’s compensation insurance system, which helps injured workers heal and return to their jobs.
In his claim, Riccio said he injured his hand on Oct. 17, 2018, just nine days after beginning a job at Aquatic Bathware in Yelm, and five days after the injury date he provided to his supervisor, according to a probable cause statement.
L&I says they investigated Riccio’s claim after an acquaintance of his provided text messages where Riccio indicated he knowingly falsified his workplace injury claim.
The messages included photos from Riccio that showed L&I documents, his bandaged hand and the words, “Now L&I will cover it,” per the statement.
Witness statements, including one from a man who said Riccio punched him, led investigators to conclude that Riccio injured his hand in a bar fight in late August at the White Horse Tavern in Yelm, the statement says.
Some of Riccio’s co-workers disputed his injury claim, saying they did not witness the injury and it could not have happened the way he described it, according to the statement.
Investigators note Riccio claimed his hand struck a mold housing for a shower unit he was pulling apart. However, one coworker told investigators there is no need to use force when inserting an air wedge between a tub and the mold, per the statement.
If Riccio is not convicted of another crime and follows conditions of his sentence for one year, then he may ask the court to change his plea and dismiss the case.
Anyone can report suspected fraud in the worker’s compensation system by contacting L&I’s Fraud division at 888-811-5974.
This story was originally published August 25, 2021 at 12:09 PM.
