Woman Steals with Phony Brain Cancer Story

(Arlington, Washington) A 40-year-old social worker, Sandra Dee Martinez, has been charged with first-degree theft for scamming her employer out of $21,000 with a faked malignant brain tumor story.

Working for the Department of Social and Health Services, Martinez faked letters from phony doctors to receive paid sick leave, days off and light duty assignments.

"She was fabricating a tragedy so she wouldn't have to go to work," Arlington Police Chief John Gray said. "She preyed on the generosity of her employer and co-workers."

The former Mountlake Terrace woman worked out of the Smokey Point DSHS office. The Arlington police investigation turned up a scheme that went way beyond faking the sniffles to take a three-day weekend, Gray said.

Martinez was hired by the state as a social worker in October 2006, according to court records. Five months later she allegedly told her employer she had a brain tumor and began using medical leave and continued to get paid.

The first letter explained that Martinez was diagnosed with tumors and would need two to three weeks off immediately so she could strengthen her immune system and focus on her treatment, court records said. The letter went on to explain that Martinez likely wouldn't be able to work full time and would need one to two years to battle her cancer.

The scam was exposed when a neighbor saw an obviously-forged letter and alerted the authorities.

Matinez is not very smart. For example, in June 2007 she sent one phony doctor's letter indicating that a blood vessel burst in her brain making her comatose and followed it four days later with another letter saying she needed to leave early on Fridays.

Tip: SuidaeEmpathy