Tacoma woman pleads guilty to first-degree theft charges in insurance scam

A Tacoma woman whom repeatedly claimed to have slipped and fallen in grocery stores has pleaded guilty to first-degree theft.

Brenda J. Johnson, 50, claimed to have fallen in two different stores within about 15 minutes. She said she was near a check stand at a Tacoma Safeway store on Sept. 18, 2009 when she slipped on some liquid and fell, injuring her wrist and ribs.

On the same day at about noon, she said, the same thing happened to her in the frozen food aisle of a Tacoma Fred Meyer store. She filed claims with both stores, showing medical care and prescription drug receipts totalling more than $5,500.

A subsequent investigation by Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler's Special Investigations Unit found that she had submitted virtually identical medical receipts to each store, including an emergency room report missing some pages. Documents obtained through a search warrant indicated that the treatment was unrelated to a fall at either store.

The investigation also found that Johnson had filed at least five auto-accident medical claims and at least half a dozen slip-and-fall injury claims.

On Nov. 22, Johnson pleaded guilty in Pierce County Superior Court to: $6,017 in restitution, 40 hours community service, and $1,000 in court fees and costs.