Wash. plumber in hot water over comp scam gets 45 days in detention

An Auburn, Washington, plumber’s dream of running his own business while collecting workers compensation benefits from a previous job has gone down the drain.

Bobby Eugene Stepp, 66, has been sentenced to serve 45 days in detention after pleading guilty to first-degree theft. This, after claiming he wasn't working due to an on-the-job injury stemming from 2004 and all the while running his own plumbing business that took in more than $144,000, the Washington Department of Labor & Industries announced Friday.

The department began investigating Mr. Stepp in 2015 after a routine cross-match of Employment Security Department and L&I records showed he was earning wages after signing official forms stating he could not work, and was not working because of his 2004 injury, according to a press release.