Have you ever called in sick to work or school because you didn't feel like going? If you haven't, you probably know someone who has, and I'm sure you are familiar with all the standard excuses. However, I doubt you or your friends have ever been as inventive as 40-year-old Sandra Dee Martinez, a former employee of the Department of Social and Health Services in Arlington, Wash., who allegedly faked cancer to avoid going to work.
According to police, Martinez was cancer-free last spring, when she forged a letter from phony doctors and gave them to her employer. These letters stated that she had been diagnosed with brain cancer and would need several weeks off for treatment. The letter also stated that Martinez would not be able to work full time for at least two years.
"When Sandra chooses, she can work and the days she can't she needs to stay home," read the phony letter, which purported to be from a doctor at the University of Washington Medical Center.
Martinez was immediately placed on sick leave and continued to receive her weekly paycheck. When she exhausted her sick days, Martinez then took advantage of her co-workers', who were more than eager to help out by donating their own sick days.
Martinez allegedly sent another phony letter to her employer in June 2007, stating that a blood vessel in her head had burst, causing her to go into a coma. Nonetheless, Martinez apparently made a rapid recovery, as just four days later her "doctor" sent another letter, this time stating Martinez could once again work regular hours, but would need to leave early on certain days so she could undergo chemotherapy. The letter also detailed the types of work Martinez would be capable of doing.
The charade continued until Martinez became sloppy. According to police, Martinez went to her neighbor's house and used a computer to print a copy of a forged letter she intended to send to her employer. After printing the letter, Martinez forgot to grab the extra copy she had made; she left it on the printer tray. After finding the letter, which stated that Martinez's condition had worsened and that she only had six months to live, Martinez's neighbor notified police.
When investigators contacted the University of Washington Medical Center, they learned that Martinez was not being treated for cancer, and that the doctors listed on the letters were not members of the hospital staff.
"She was fabricating a tragedy so she wouldn't have to go to work," Arlington Police Chief John Gray told Heraldnet.com. "She preyed on the generosity of her employer and co-workers."
All totaled, police say Martinez bilked her employer out of $21,000 in paid leave.
Earlier this week, prosecutors charged Martinez with first-degree theft; however, investigators have not yet taken her into custody, as she recently moved out of state and refuses to cooperate with the investigation. As a result, prosecutors have had to seek extradition so they can bring her back to Washington to face the charges.
If convicted, Martinez won't have to worry about calling in sick to another employer anytime soon, as she'll have plenty of time to rest and relax in a six-by-six prison cell.
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