Hamsters have been working for years to free themselves of the stereotype of being the con-animals of the small-rodent world. That's why the charges against Leroy Barnes, one of the dancing Kia Soul hamsters, of illegally collecting $51,000 of workman's comp are so disheartening. Oh, hamsters.
According to a Los Angeles CBS affiliate,
The California Department of Insurance says 27-year-old Leroy Barnes of Los Angeles collected $51,000 in workers compensation benefits in 2010 and 2011. Barnes claimed he was disabled when a piece of ceiling fell on him.
You might be familiar with that 2010-2011 period of Barnes' life because, among other things, he was a dancing hamster in a Kia Soul. Which suggests maybe that piece of ceiling didn't do as much damage as one may have thought.
The moral here? If you're going to try to pull a workman's-comp scam, it's probably best if you avoid doing any huge national commercials. Even if you are disguised as a rodent.