SW Washington Logger Convicted of Benefit Theft
A southwest Washington logger must serve 60 days home detention and repay more than $163,000 after he admitted stealing workers’ comp benefits from the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I), which administers the state workers’ comp system, from January 2018 to January 2020. James Thomasson claimed injuries from working in the woods led to disabilities that affected his ability to work, and a medical provider said he was eligible for lost wages payments. However, after receiving a tip, L&I investigators caught Thomasson performing multiple activities that were inconsistent with his medical restrictions including walking briskly uphill, lifting heavy tools over his head and dancing. Upon reassessment, the provider noted he had “engaged in well-executed intentional underperformance” of his abilities, which led to the second-degree theft plea.
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Enviva Announces First Quarter Setback
Enviva, the world’s largest producer of industrial wood pellets, released its quarterly report in early May, and it rippled through the wood-to-energy ranks. “The plans and initiatives underway to improve productivity and costs across Enviva’s current asset platform continue to fall behind expectations,” commented John Keppler, Executive Chairman of the board. “While the board of directors remains convinced of management’s ability to deliver the originally forecasted operational and financial performance over time, it is clearly taking longer than expected…
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