Bus Driver Charged with Theft for Faking Injury to Collect Benefits

WA LnI News Releases

Filed January 27th, 2026

Detected March 19th, 2026

Summary

The Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) announced a Renton bus driver faces a felony theft charge for allegedly collecting over $50,000 in workers' compensation benefits while working multiple other jobs. The driver is accused of falsely attesting he was too injured to work, defrauding the system and potentially impacting benefits for genuinely injured workers.

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What changed

A Renton bus driver, Clifford Wayne Dumas, has been charged with felony theft for allegedly defrauding the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) out of more than $50,000 in workers' compensation benefits. The investigation revealed Dumas collected wage replacement, medical care, and vocational training benefits between April 2023 and March 2024, despite repeatedly claiming he was too injured to work. The charges stem from L&I's investigation, which found Dumas was employed by King County Metro and WeDriveU Seattle during this period, earning substantial income while receiving state benefits.

The Washington State Attorney General's Office filed the charges based on L&I's findings. The penalty for first-degree theft includes potential prison time, a fine of up to $20,000, restitution, and court costs. L&I is urging the public to report suspected workers' compensation fraud. This case highlights the consequences of abusing the workers' compensation system and underscores the importance of accurate reporting by claimants.

What to do next

Review internal controls for detecting potential workers' compensation fraud.
Ensure employee attestations regarding work status are accurate and verifiable.
Report any suspected fraudulent activity to the relevant authorities.

Penalties

Felony theft charges include potential prison time, up to a $20,000 fine, restitution, and court costs.

Source document (simplified)

Bus driver faces theft charge for taking workers’ comp benefits while allegedly continuing to work other jobs

January 27, 2026 #26-02 SEATTLE — A Renton bus driver faces a felony theft charge for taking time loss payments and receiving other benefits meant for injured workers while at the same time allegedly working multiple jobs.

According to the charging papers, Clifford Wayne Dumas, 67, received more than $50,000 in workers’ compensation benefits from the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I). He received the benefits while attesting on more than 10 occasions that he was too injured to work.

Those benefits included $26,000 in wage replacement payments, $16,000 in medical care, and nearly $14,000 in vocational training services. Despite his statements to the contrary, an L&I investigation said Dumas was working the entire time.

He pleaded not guilty Jan. 5 in King County Superior Court on a single count of first-degree theft.

“Our investigation showed Mr. Dumas intentionally abused the workers’ compensation system, signing documents affirming he wasn’t capable of working,” said Randy Littlefield, acting assistant director of L&I’s Customer Service, Compliance, and Public Safety Division. “The money and benefits he is accused of fraudulently taking could have gone to help workers who were truly injured, and that’s the real damage here.”

After injury, more driving
Dumas drove for Seattle-based Trans West, a transportation services company. According to the L&I investigation, in April 2023 he filed a claim with L&I that he had injured his shoulders and lower back slipping at work. L&I accepted the claim and provided workers’ comp payments.

Through March 2024, Dumas filed 11 worker status forms, claiming he was unable to work and was not working.

According to the charging papers, Trans West, which was paying a higher workers’ comp premium because of the injury, found out that Dumas was doing other work and informed L&I. Dumas earned about $33,000 each from King County Metro and WeDriveU Seattle during the time he was collecting state workers’ compensation benefits.

When confronted, L&I investigators say Dumas denied working for the companies. L&I confirmed his identity with the other employers. Investigators also checked with the doctor from whom Dumas initially received treatment. The doctor found the initial diagnosis should have required only six weeks of treatment.

The Washington State Attorney General’s Office filed the charges based on L&I’s investigation. The penalty for felony theft includes the potential for prison time and up to a $20,000 fine, plus restitution and court costs.

Report workers’ comp fraud
If you see or suspect someone is cheating the workers’ compensation system, contact L&I's Fraud division (Lni.wa.gov/Fraud) or call 1-888-811-5974.