Until 1993, Merino worked as a trooper for the Washington State Patrol. He’s been on paid disability leave ever since he claimed he hurt himself lifting a crash victim from a car wreck.
He gets more than $2,600 a month for that “disability” from the Washington State Patrol.
But while Merino claims he was so injured he could only collect disability from the Patrol, he was apparently able to muster the physical ability to take a job at the Department of Labor and Industries.
At L&I Merino is making more than $54,000 as an investigator.
But for the moment, Merino’s not even working at L&I he’s on leave from that job for an undisclosed reason.
I called L&I spokeswoman Elaine Fisher around noon today to ask what Merino’s status with department is. By the end of the day, Fisher could only tell me he was on leave for an undisclosed reason. And she claimed to be unable to say whether Merino was being paid for his leave.
If he is being paid, the double dipping would add up to more than $85,000 a year for a man who isn’t working.
Did I mention that while Merino is collecting disability from the Patrol and at leave from L&I, he’s also fighting Theft, Attempted Theft, Conspiracy to Commit Theft and Forgery charges?
Thurston County Prosecutor Joe Wheeler says a retired trooper, Jim Varner, along with Varner’s son tried to swindle Farmer’s Insurance Company out of $60,000. The trio allegedly claimed that Merino sold Varner a vintage 1949 Chevrolet Woody and then it was immediately stolen. The only trouble is, says Wheeler, the car was really just a rusted piece of junk; it wasn’t worth anything. And it was never stolen, according to Wheeler.
Jim Varner will never face charges for the alleged crime because he was shot to death immediately after the allegations arose, said Wheeler.
Wheeler says that complicates the case against Merino, but he will “still be able to prove it beyond a reasonable doubt.”
What does Merino have to say about all of this? I wish I could tell you.
Merino’s attorney did not return our phone call seeking comment
And when we showed up to his house in his swanky west Olympia neighborhood, a woman darted from the street into the home. Once I made it past a nice little black little Mercedes parked in Merino’s driveway, I knocked on the door. But no answer.
Maybe Merino wasn’t feeling well enough to answer questions about his alleged crime and publicly paid disability.
Merino’s trial is set for next month.