Wash. landscaper caught working while claiming he was injured pleads guilty

A Bothell landscaper who claimed he was suffering from an on-the-job injury has admitted to stealing state workers’ compensation benefits. Jose De Jesus Bernal-Ruiz pleaded guilty to second-degree theft this week in King County Superior Court, according to the Washington Attorney General’s Office. The 39-year-old Bothell resident also agreed to repay the Department of Labor & Industries more than $71,000 in vocational and cash benefits he should not have received.