A husband and wife team that owned and operated a foreign language interpreter business in Mountain Terrace, WA have been sentenced to 90 days in jail for a work comp billing scheme.

Phillip and Kitzia Ward, were sentenced for one felony count of first-degree theft involving submitting thousands of fraudulent bills to the Washington Department of Labor & Industries (L&I).  They had plead guilty to these charges earlier.

Judge Carol Murphy ordered Phillip to serve his 90 days behind bars.  She allowed his wife to serve her first 30 days on work release, and the remainder on electronic home monitoring if the jail officials determine she is eligible.

The Ward’s are also ordered to repay L&I $16,331 for over billing the state.

During the investigation it was determined that the Wards would pad the bills for additional services after the interpreters were paid for their part and the Wards would keep the difference.