In the end, one Seattle cab driver drove down the wrong road.
Authorities announced that the man who defrauded Washington State of workers compensation benefits must pay back the state and spend 20 days in confinement.
King County Superior Court Judge Carol Shapira recently sentenced Shahin I. Shahin to 20 days in jail, credited him for one day served and agreed to let him serve the remaining time in electronic home monitoring. Shapira also ordered Shahin, 53, to repay the Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) more than $14,000 for workers comp benefits he received.
Shahin pleaded guilty in March to one felony count of first-degree theft for defrauding the state from October 2008 to May 2012, according to the Washington Attorney General’s Office.
Defendant Stated He Was Not Employed
During that period, he was receiving disability pension payments from L&I and signing official documents stating he was not employed and could not work due to a job-related injury.
An L&I investigation, however, revealed that Shahin had legally changed his name from Walid I. Shahin to Shahin I. Shahin, and was using the new name in a job driving taxis.
L&I continued to know him as Walid I. Shahin because he never reported his name change or his work as a taxi driver to the department. He even passed two medical exams under the new name, clearing him to drive a cab.
Shahin originally filed for workers comp in 1996 after he was struck by a freight elevator door while he worked at a Seattle restaurant.
Author Kori Shafer-Stack, Editor, Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. is an expert in post-injury response procedures and part of the Amaxx team helping companies reduce their workers compensation costs by 20% to 50%. www.reduceyourworkerscomp.com. Contact: [email protected].
©2014 Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved under International Copyright Law.
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