Washington State

Office of the Attorney General

Attorney General

Nick Brown

Spokane restaurant owner charged with theft of nearly $250,000 in workers’ comp payments

Courtesy of Dept. of Labor and Industries

TUMWATER — A Spokane restaurant owner faces a felony theft charge alleging she defrauded the state of nearly $250,000 in workers’ compensation benefits over eight years while claiming she could not work.

Upon investigation, the Department of Labor & Industries found Wanitta Racicot, 69, was cooking, busing tables and performing other duties at a restaurant that she co-owns.

Attorney General’s Opinion addresses public hospital districts and reproductive health

SEATTLE—The Attorney General’s Office today released a formal Attorney General’s Opinion in response to a request by Sen. Kevin Ranker, D-Orcas Island.

Ranker asked if a public hospital district violates Initiative 120 if it solely contracts with a health care provider that does not provide reproductive care services such as contraception.

AG Ferguson, other Attorneys General, resolve unapproved marketing and misuse of kidney drug

Wyeth Pharmaceutical to
pay $491M, Washington state will receive $261K

SEATTLE — Attorney General
Bob Ferguson announced today that
Washington has joined with other states and
the federal government
in
a $491 million settlement against Wyeth Pharmaceuticals Inc., a
pharmaceutical company acquired by Pfizer Inc. in 2009.

AG’s Criminal Justice Division commits Cowlitz County sex predator, prevents release to community

OLYMPIA—The Attorney General’s Office this week successfully committed a sexually violent predator (SVP) to the state’s Special Commitment Center, preventing his release into the community.

Garner “Dennis” Chastain, 60, pled guilty to Attempted Child Molestation in the second degree in Cowlitz County for molesting his step-grandson on multiple occasions in 2007. He was sentenced to 60 months and scheduled for release on December 28, 2011.  He was previously charged with four counts of sexual abuse of a minor for molesting multiple boys in Alaska in 1996.