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What started as a workplace dispute at an Irvine industrial plant, culminating with an alleged attack on a co-worker, led to insurance fraud charges for a 65-year-old Lake Forest man.

The Orange County Register reports that Randal Brown McKay was arrested on charges stemming from the fracas with a co-worker in June 2014. McKay quickly posted $25,000 bail.

Senior Deputy District Attorney Pamela Leitao said McKay had “a habit of being a difficult and angry person” with his former co-workers . “He’s been known to throw things at other employees.”

Leitao said the dispute began when he arrived at work on June 6, 2014, and berated a longtime forklift driver for not opening up large, transparent plastic strips at a door of the plant to allow more air in.

At some point, McKay “jumped in front of the forklift” the victim was driving and “dared him to hit him,” the prosecutor alleged.

The co-worker managed to stop just short of McKay, who claimed he was struck by a pallet on the forklift, Leitao said.

As a manager attempted to sort through the dispute, the forklift driver, “who is a quiet and humble guy and was shaking over all this controversy,” laughed nervously, she said.

Witnesses told investigators that “McKay, cursing again, literally runs toward him and runs and leaps and clocks him in the head and tries to knee him,” according to Leitao.

McKay left work, contacted Irvine police to report that he was assaulted and later filed a workers’ compensation claim.

On June 11, 2014, McKay filed a claim with CompWest Insurance Co. alleging work related injuries for being struck by a forklift, and on July 14, 2015, he repeated the lie while under oath during a Worker’s Compensation Appeals Board trial, the OCDA says.

The WCALJ determined McKay was not struck by a forklift and did not sustain any injuries, states the OCDA, which notes its own fraud investigation began after prosecutors were contacted by CompWest Insurance Company.

The victim had to receive eight stitches as a result of the attack and as recently as late last year still suffered from blurred vision, Leitao said.

The forklift driver was initially reluctant to seek a criminal complaint against McKay out of fear, but is now more willing to testify since the defendant is facing insurance fraud charges, as well, Leitao said.

McKay is charged with assault with force likely to produce great bodily injury, three counts of insurance fraud and perjury, along with a sentence-enhancing allegation of causing great bodily injury.

McKay could face up to 11 years in prison if convicted.