By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
CHEHALIS – A 37-year-old Vader woman has been charged with enrolling the father of her children as her “husband” under her employer’s health insurance plan without actually being married to him.
The postal carrier allegedly signed him up when she was hired in August 2004 by the U.S. Postal Service and a tip 10 years later led to an investigation.
Juelene L. Perez Owens was charged with first-degree theft in Lewis County Superior Court and summonsed to appear before a judge yesterday.
Records show medical and prescription claims in excess of $350,000 have been paid out for the “husband”, according to court documents.
Owens was accompanied yesterday afternoon by her attorney Dana Williams. She told the judge her proper name is Juelene L. Perez-Lopez.
She pleaded not guilty.
Her conditions of release pending trial included a $5,000 signature bond.
Charging documents in the case indicate Perez-Lopez when questioned by a human resources employee in 2014 said they were not married but planned to be soon.
When interviewed by a U.S. Postal Service Inspector’s special agent, she told him she and her “spouse” met in high school in 1997, he was the father of their four children and she thought they were “common law,” according to the court documents.
The investigation was taken over by the Washington State Insurance Commissioner’s Office and a detective there found she had filed a bankruptcy petition in November 2004, claiming to be single with three children, the documents relate.
Perez-Lopez is scheduled to return to Lewis County Superior Court on Nov. 3 so a trial date can be set.
Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter
I agree with you no common law.
Yeah there isn’t common law marriage in this state. But apparently there is no common sense etther! #1. Stupid lies, Stupid! Who the fuck lies about shit that they know nothing about? Fuck do a little homework for gods sake! She’s probably catching the charge for insulting someones intelligence more so than any other reason. However if anyone should be in jail over this it’s the fucking snitch. If this broad gets convicted of a first degree theft. And jailed over this i swear to god ill go picket the prosecutors office! Unfucking real!!!!!!
You’re both right…sort of. This from the Curran Law Firm (Kent) website:
“While Washington State does not recognize the common-law marriages, a non-married Washington citizen may nevertheless be able to gain marital-like property rights in the property of his or her significant other by proving that they were in a committed intimate relationship (a ‘CIR’). A CIR is a stable, marital-like relationship where both parties cohabit with knowledge that a lawful marriage between them does not exist. Whether a CIR exists depends on the intent and purpose of the parties, the duration of the relationship, whether the parties continuously cohabited, and whether they pooled their resources.”
So while there is no “common law” in Washington, the courts do have some latitude…it’s up to them to exercise it. Anyway, restitution and a fine are definitely in order. Jail? Doesn’t rise to it, IMHO.
If Washington is not a common law state it very well used to be. I remember I had some friends of mine that were in a domestic partnership for 9 years and when they broke it off, they literally had to go to court to divide their debt and assets because the court recognized that since they were together long enough that they were married under “common law”. Considering that the postal system is federal, I don’t know how they legally determine under federal law at what point a domestic partnership becomes a common law marriage. That will be something interesting for me to research.
Washington is not a common law state.
Give her small fine and let it go. She then needs to marry the guy and put him on her insurance legally. But no they will send her to prison and make her repay all of the benefits. Ridiculous.
Banker bailouts, Obama Care, and Hillary Clinton crimes are not punishable. Yet the little guy that needs health care has to commit a crime to stay alive. There’s a waiting list for vets and people with Obama care, people cannot find doctors who will take Medicare. The people that should be in Jail here are the Insurance company’s not the sick and dying. Throw this case out of court. The will to survive is the most important thing the human mind does for the body. How many illegal immigrants have over burdened the system and who’s holding them accountable?. Drain the Swamp Make America Great Again
They were married under common law. The bankruptcy records may be what screws her.
Don’t blame her one bit.