News

Thursday, 25 February 2010 02:10

Local authorities Chehalis Police Department and the County Prosecutor’s Office in Lewis County share a $1.3 windfall for their participation in a gambling investigation.

The two authorities are still undecided on how they are going to spend all the money they received from their hand in helping Washington State's Gambling Commission seizure last year of over $4 million in illegal gambling funds from local banks.

The commission's target was Ron Ehli, who had been accused of setting up an illegal online gambling operation that had its base in Chehalis. However, he fled leaving the money stashed away in local banks. The commission, with the help of the Police department in Chehalis and the County Prosecutor’s Office located all the funds and sized them. They followed state law which allowed them to disperse the money for the purpose of future investigations.

Glenn Schaffer, the police chief in Chehalis, said that his department had joined the investigation quite late in relation to the commission's involvement. Chehalis personnel from the police department provided the security and assistance in executing the relevant search warrants plus a facility for the use of the commission's investigators.

Michael Golden, Lewis County Prosecutor said that his office assisted in securing the warrants that made possible the seizure of the gambling funds. Neither office were expecting to receive any money for their part in the investigation, so the unexpected bonus of $643,000 each has them both unsure of what to do with it.

By state law, those funds have to be used in the prevention of the crime focused on by the investigation. That means they cannot be used for backfilling gaps in the county or municipal budgets. It's money that comes with very strict regulations. Schaffer says that Chehalis has around a dozen licenses for gambling that are issued to both local businesses and individuals. Potentially, connections could be fashioned to provide the necessary enforcement in that area.

Golden intends to divide the money between other departments, such as $200,000 to the Sheriff’s Office, another $200,000 to the drug court while the balance is retained to prevent the deputy prosecutor position being eliminated. The county might decide to use the money to set up a special fund, but any details still need to be discussed. Golden said that he has to deposit that check, but doesn't have anywhere to put it!