Charges described as benefitting employees must go to workers
 

SEATTLE — Attorney General Bob Ferguson today criticized the recent attempt by the U.S. Department of Energy to extend the schedule for part of its Hanford cleanup.

For more than a year, the Attorney General’s Office, on behalf of the State of Washington, and the U.S. Department of Justice, on behalf of Energy, have advocated competing proposals to modify the consent decree governing part of the Hanford cleanup process.  The dispute is now being litigated in the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Washington.

OLYMPIA — The U.S. Supreme Court Thursday ruled that out-of-court statements made to non-law enforcement individuals can potentially be used in criminal prosecutions, endorsing the position advocated by Attorney General Bob Ferguson in a “friend of the court” brief that was joined by 41 other state Attorneys General.

SEATTLE — The calls are often along the same lines:  A “technician” claiming to be from a well-known company, like Microsoft, tells you your computer is infected with a virus. He throws around some technical jargon, often walking you through some benign activities like opening a Web browser or some computer utility.
 

Sold investments with no benefit, misrepresented qualifications

SEATTLE — Attorney General Bob Ferguson has filed a lawsuit against a Snohomish couple who scammed elderly Washington residents applying for Medicaid and veterans benefits.  The Attorney General’s Office alleges that the Cooks’ actions violated the state Consumer Protection Act.

OLYMPIA — Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson issued this statement today in response to the recent announcement by the U.S. Department of Education outlining a new debt relief process for Corinthian Colleges, Inc. (“Corinthian”) students.

SEATTLE — Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced today his office will offer a formal opinion in response to a request from Senator Pam Roach related to the City of Pasco’s proposed district-only voting system.

In Opinion Docket No. 15-06-01, Roach asks: “May a non-charter code city subject to RCW 35A.12.180, having a large minority population, adopt a district-based general election procedure to avoid a potential violation of Section 2 of the Federal Voting Rights Act?”

First conviction of healthcare provider for felony-level mistreatment

SEATTLE — A former adult family home operator pleaded guilty today to charges he criminally mistreated a man in his care.

The Attorney General’s Office Medicaid Fraud Control Unit charged Alfredo Tia with second-degree criminal mistreatment in King County Superior Court. Tia was arrested at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport April 22 as he returned from the Philippines.

SEATTLE — Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced that the King County Superior Court yesterday convicted Elene Allonce of forging a nursing license that she used to fraudulently serve as a Medicaid healthcare provider. Allonce is sentenced to six months in jail, the most time allowed for this 16-year-old crime.

OLYMPIA — Today the Washington State Supreme Court declined to hear a challenge to the state’s voter-approved recreational marijuana law.

Instead, the justices referred MMH, LLC v. Fife to Division Two of the Washington Court of Appeals.