Card dealer ordered to repay disability benefits

A man who collected worker’s compensation benefits while working at new jobs has been ordered to repay more than $27,000 after pleading guilty to two counts of theft Monday.

Victor Arredondo, 58, was also sentenced to 10 days in jail converted to 80 hours of community service.

Arredondo was working as a card dealer at a Spokane-area casino in 2013 when he claimed he injured his lower back and couldn’t work. He received worker’s compensation benefits from June 2013 to March 2014.

However, investigators later determined that Arredondo began working at another casino almost immediately after his alleged injury, according to the Department of Labor and Industries. During the time Arredondo was working for two separate casinos he repeatedly told L&I that he was unable to work.

Arredondo was caught when L&I cross-checked its records with those held by other state agencies.