Local News

<< Previous   of   Next >>   ADVERTISEMENT   Related Stories • Lynnwood chief's silence let FBI work 10/30/07 • Evidence missing, but police didn't tell 10/27/07 • Police corruption probe targets Lynnwood deputy chief 10/26/07   CONTACT THE HERALD Robert Frank, City Editor frank@heraldnet.com   Published: Friday, November 16, 2007 Lynnwood deputy police chief pleads guilty to theft of evidence By Diana Hefley and Jackson Holtz Herald Writers LYNNWOOD – A Lynnwood Police Department deputy chief pleaded guilty this morning to stealing thousands of dollars seized in criminal investigations over several years. Paul C. Watkins, 50, was charged with one count of theft from a federal funded local agency. He made his plea in U.S. District Court in Seattle. He is scheduled to be sentenced Feb. 22. According to the plea agreement Watkins admitted that while serving as the commander of investigations from 2001 to 2004 he stole money that had been seized during criminal investigation. Watkins “abused his authority by falsely representing that he was returning money to the owner, when in fact in many cases he was keeping the seized money for himself,” prosecutors wrote. Prosecutors allege that Watkins stole between $70,000 and $120,000. He faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Federal prosecutors expect to ask for lengthy sentence. They allege that Watkins obstructed justice when he destroyed records related to the thefts just hours before a search warrant was served in the case. Watkins declined to comment this morning at the hearing. Watkins became the subject of a “public corruption” investigation after Lynnwood officials discovered money missing when police conducted an internal audit of cases involving seized evidence. Police Chief Steve Jensen asked the FBI in June to investigate. Watkins, a 24-year Lynnwood police veteran, was placed on administrative leave late last month and relieved of his police authority. Lynnwood police provided the FBI with documents, court records and statements indicating that in 2002, Watkins, while serving as the commander of the department's criminal investigations division, may have stolen evidence from a 1996 robbery investigation, according to a search warrant affidavit. Police said Watkins took $14,046, several grams of suspected cocaine and two guns, and there is no record that the items were returned. When questioned, Watkins said he had picked up items at the Snohomish County Courthouse in Everett and put them in Lynnwood evidence lockers but didn't make entries into the department's logbook, a violation of department policy, according to the affidavit. In addition, Lynnwood police noted numerous occasions when money was seized during criminal investigations and turned over to Watkins for processing, but no forms were filed to document where the cash ultimately went. According to the FBI's affidavit, there were multiple instances found where no records exist to show the seized money was received by the police department, subject to a forfeiture hearing or returned to the owner. The police department's own audit found 62 transactions involving about $90,000 from October 2001 to October 2005 that specifically involved Watkins. The proper paperwork was absent in each case, the affidavit said. Watkins has had a history of financial problems, including seeking bankruptcy protection four times between 1987 and 2004. At one point, he faced a $10,000 lien filed by the Internal Revenue Service, according to court papers. The FBI agent said in the affidavit that a check of Watkins' financial records showed he "made several suspicious cash deposits into his bank account" during the time period now under investigation. Among those questioned were more than $23,000 in cash deposits between 2000 and 2006. The FBI found the cash deposits suspicious partly because Watkins' police department check is deposited directly into his bank account, and investigators could find no other known source of income for his family that would explain the cash.

1. Good grief! 2. Swine flu lingers, making traditional flu season unpredictable 3. Two vie to serve as Snohomish County prosecutor 4. Last hurrah for Huskies’ Locker? 5. Koster for Congress? He’s still undecided 6. Here’s how home foreclosure sales really work 7. A store credit card can save you cash, but is it worth it? 8. New site sought for Snohomish pool project 9. Families get an early gift: free Christmas trees 10. Prep Roundup: Lake Stevens wins two wrestling meets 2 - Top 10 Stories Most Talked about 3 - Top 10 Stories Most Emailed

• Wildcats fall to familar foe in semis • ‘Nutcracker' times three • Road warrior • Mavericks reloading • Holiday Lightings & Santa Sightings • Cities prepare for winter blast repeat • Wolfpack duo takes last shot at state tourney • This Weekend in Your Town • Tips for the stormy season • Boeing will build, flight test and deliver 787s in South Carolina to spe ... • Snohomish County EDC promoting job growth in key industry clusters • $4 million grant to advance brain tumor research has Everett links • Providence medical center construction tops off its 12-story steel frame ... • Tulalip affordable housing project to be financed by KeyBank, Raymond Ja ... • Arlington's Lak of Ink has a growing following for Luke Kooyman's creati ... • Bank of the Northwest formed • Cascade Bank earns $1.6 million