WAHKIAKUM COUNTY, Wash. — A 56-year-old woman who claimed to be traumatized from a workplace dog attack pleaded guilty to second-degree attempted theft of state worker’s compensation on Monday, August 19.
A Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) investigation found that Linda Lashell Jordan, a former Pacific County Public Utility District meter reader, was housing 6 dogs in her home at the same time that she was insisting that her post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and fear of dogs was so severe that she could not work.
In 2007, a dog attacked Jordan while she was working, biting her right arm and causing serious injury. Over the next several years, L&I says she filed injury claims saying she could not work or drive due to her fear of dogs.
Jordan’s medical providers confirmed that she could not work, allowing her to qualify for wage-replacement payments. In 2014, her doctor confirmed that Jordan fainted when she saw dogs.
L&I’s investigation found that Jordan took more than $162,000 in wage-replacement payments between September 2016 and October 2019.
“This is clearly a case of someone abusing the workers’ comp system,” said Celeste Monahan, assistant director of L&I’s Fraud Prevention and Labor Standards division. “It’s not a victimless crime. She was taking money from the fund that helps workers who really are seriously injured on the job and need support to heal and get back to work.”
L&I is also seeking repayment from Jordan.
The investigation against Jordan began in 2018 when a claim manager suspected something was not aligning with Jordan’s claims.
An L&I investigator visited Jordan at her home, claiming to be interested in buying bricks that Jordan was advertising. The investigator found that Jordan had 3 French bulldogs and three boxers in her home.
According to charging papers, Jordan told the undercover investigator that she and her husband had been rescuing and fostering boxers for 30 years and warned the investigator that one of the dogs may bite. She then let the investigator take a photo of her with two of the dogs.
The investigation also revealed that Jordan had advertised dogs for sale on Facebook using her maiden name, her husband’s name and an alias. They also found that although healthcare providers had advised Jordan not to drive, she was seen by investigators driving nine times in 2018 and 2019.
In 2019, L&I case investigators showed photos and other surveillance materials to a psychiatrist who treated Jordan. The psychiatrist changed Jordan's PTSD diagnosis to malingering (pretending an illness or injury to avoid work) and found that Jordan was capable of returning to work as early as September 2016.
Jordan pleaded guilty to the gross misdemeanor offense and was sentenced to 30 days of jail which can be served under electronic home monitoring.
