A 41-year-old man in Seattle reportedly feigned work injuries in order to obtain painkillers at various emergency rooms and urgent-care clinics across the city. The Washing State Department of Labor & Industries claims that the man faces 25 felony charges.

The man allegedly went into hospitals and clinics pretending to be an ironworker. He would have cuts and other injuries, which he would assert were sustained in a construction accident. According to the Department of Labor & Industries, he presented the facilities with fake names, birthdates and Social Security numbers to acquire prescriptions for Vicodin, Percocet and other painkillers.

Reports indicate that the 41-year-old man fraudulently filed 51 workers' compensation claims with the Department of Labor & Industries between November 2012 and February 2013. He has supposedly amassed more than $134,000 in unpaid medical fees.

As hospitals and clinics are legally obligated to treat all patients in an emergency, the department claims the man was not required to hand over any identification allowing him to continually operate under the radar. Patient photographs and surveillance footage supposedly ultimately identified the man.

Purportedly, the man stands accused of 25 charges for obtaining a controlled substance by fraud. The county court maintains a warrant has been issued as the man did not present himself in court.

One-third of all drug arrests in the US pertain to drug-related offenses, and Washington tops the nation in the number of arrests for marijuana possession and simple possession of a controlled substance. A defense attorney may be able to evaluate all the evidence against a felony drug charge and create arguments that may decrease the severity of punishments.

Source: KOMO , "Man charged with faking on-the-job injuries for painkillers", Michael Harthorne, December 23, 2013