In brief: Soccer board member accused of embezzling
A Spokane man has been accused of embezzling money from the Inland Empire Youth Soccer Association and nearly bankrupting the organization.
Spokane police say 43-year-old Shawn Meese stole $140,000 from the group over a year and a half. Meese allegedly used his position as a board member with the organization to funnel money from its accounts to his own.
Investigators believe he then used the money to go on a spending spree, buying boats, cars, jewelry and guns.
“There were several large purchases,” Detective Kirk Kimberly said.
This week, fraud unit investigators requested the prosecutor’s office charge Meese with one count of first-degree theft and 14 counts of money laundering, Sgt. Lydia Taylor said in a news release. The prosecutor’s office is expected to file charges Friday.
The association reportedly took out a loan to continue operating after the theft nearly wiped out its funding.
“They went to extreme measures to remain solvent and be there for the children of Spokane that play soccer,” Kimberly said.
Meese could not be reached for comment.
State notifies some of possible shutdown
OLYMPIA – State officials continued to plan Wednesday for a partial government shutdown while repeating they thought it would be averted by agreement over the 2013-15 budget.
Mary Alice Heuschel, Gov. Jay Inslee’s chief of staff, said notices were going out to recipients of some health and social services programs, some businesses which would have contracts temporarily suspended and people with reservations at state parks next week. The state will lose the legal authority to spend money on those programs or contracts, or to operate parks, if a budget isn’t passed and signed by midnight Sunday.
Inslee continues to believe an agreement will be reached, Heuschel said, but the contingency plans are part of responsible government. Negotiators continued to work on the $32 billion budget in secret meetings. As they have for nearly a week, legislative leaders said an agreement was close.
At one point Wednesday, the Senate Majority Caucus told members via email that an agreement had been reached. Other groups involved in negotiations said that wasn’t true, and Senate majority leaders later backtracked to say the sides have settled major components but some smaller questions remained.
Man pleads not guilty in ricin letters case
A Spokane man pleaded not guilty Wednesday to developing and sending poison-laced letters to President Barack Obama and a federal judge.
Matthew R. Buquet, 38, appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Cynthia Imbrogno and pleaded not guilty, said his defense attorney, Andrea George of the Federal Defenders of Eastern Washington and Idaho.
Federal agents arrested Buquet on May 22 after they raided his Browne’s Addition apartment. According to court records, Buquet sent ricin-laced letters to Obama, U.S. District Court Judge Fred Van Sickle, the CIA, Fairchild Air Force Base and a Spokane post office.
Crash injures two on Idaho Highway 3
Two North Idaho women were injured in a head-on collision on State Highway 3 near St. Maries on Wednesday afternoon.
Idaho State Police said Kayla Stapleton, 22, of Coeur d’Alene, was driving south in a 2008 Subaru Legacy when she crossed the centerline and struck a 2012 Ford Fusion driven by Frances Maupin, 56, of Post Falls. Both women were wearing seat belts. The collision happened shortly after 2 p.m.
Maupin was taken to Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center, where she was in surgery Wednesday night. Stapleton was taken to Kootenai Medical Center, where she was listed in good condition.
Beach, boat launch reopen at Q’emiln
Just in time for the approaching warm weather, the city of Post Falls has announced that the boat launch and swim park at Q’emiln Park have been reopened.
The beach and boat launch were closed last week because the spill gates on the Post Falls Dam were opened to manage the heavy rains. Whenever any of the spill gates are open, river recreation is prohibited as a safety precaution between the Spokane Street Bridge and the Post Falls Dam.
Earthquake hits near Leavenworth
LEAVENWORTH, Wash. – A magnitude-4.3 earthquake was widely felt across north-central Washington state on Wednesday night.
The Wenatchee World reported there were no initial reports of damage or injuries after the 7:45 p.m. quake.
Centered 14 miles north-northwest of Leavenworth, the tremor was felt in that city, as well as in Wenatchee, Chelan and the Methow Valley.
Man gets prison for stabbing relatives
A Spokane man pleaded guilty Wednesday to stabbing his stepgrandfather and stepfather in two separate incidents in January and was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Joel M. Arevalo, 21, had been charged with two counts of first-degree assault stemming from two stabbings.
With the plea, Arevalo admitted stabbing his stepfather 16 to 19 times in the neck and back on Jan. 22 and pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of second-degree assault, defense attorney Jill Gannon-Nagle said.
Deputy Spokane County Prosecutor Tom Treppiedi also allowed Arevalo to plead guilty to first-degree burglary for the Jan. 24 incident in which he broke into his stepgrandfather’s home in the 1800 block of West Dean Avenue and stabbed him once.
Both stabbing victims suffered serious but non-life-threatening injuries.
Superior Court Judge Sam Cozza sentenced Arevalo, who has a previous felony conviction, to eight years in prison with a two-year deadly-weapons enhancement.
Impaired driver laws sail through Senate
OLYMPIA – The Senate gave unanimous approval Wednesday to tougher laws against people who drive drunk or drive under the influence of drugs, particularly repeat offenders.
The proposal would require an automatic arrest for a second offense and require ignition interlock devices on their vehicles before their cases go to trial.
It would require a court appearance within 48 hours and set up a test program for repeat offenders to have their sobriety monitored on a daily basis with electronic home monitoring rather than more expensive incarceration.
Sen. Mike Padden, R-Spokane Valley, the bill’s sponsor, called drunken driving a “preventable disease” that costs victims, their families and all of society. The bill now goes to the House, which must pass it before the second special session ends for it to become law.