Ex-official arrested in theft of $25,000

MOUNTLAKE TERRACE — The man who once ran the Mountlake Terrace Police Department’s electronic home monitoring program was arrested for allegedly pocketing $25,000 from people who believed they were paying the city’s monitoring fee.

He also allegedly falsified sentencing reports for those he supervised, according to a Washington State Patrol investigation.

Former custody officer David Alaniz, 36, was arrested Wednesday for investigation of multiple counts of felony misappropriation and falsification of accounts by a public officer.

City officials became suspicious of Alaniz early last year and notified the State Patrol, said Robert Calkins, a patrol spokesman.

Alaniz was placed on administrative leave in February 2007, according to court documents filed Thursday in Snohomish County Superior Court.

He resigned in April 2007 after working for the city for about two years, Mountlake Terrace Assistant Police Chief Pete Caw said.

Anyone who works in public service commands a level of public trust, Caw said.

“When someone betrays that trust, it betrays all of us,” he said. “We’re deeply saddened and disappointed.”

For about two years, Alaniz kept track of people who were serving sentences at home under electronic monitoring. The job included collecting fees from people on the program and keeping track of the time served.

The program is a sentencing option for some people convicted of nonviolent misdemeanors. Instead of going to jail, they are closely supervised with the help of electronic tracking bracelets. About 15 people are enrolled at any time, paying the city around $25 a day, Caw said.

Alaniz previously worked for King County corrections and was a reserve police officer in Everett. He provided prisoner transport for Mountlake Terrace but primarily was in charge of the home detention program, the court documents said.

The investigation focused on 77 cases, 66 of which showed problems in the amount of money collected, the amount of time served or both, the documents said.

Of those cases, the city should have received $45,770 in payments, but $20,925 was logged, the documents said. People should have served a total of 2,350 days on home monitoring but only 1,234 days were recorded.

“Every indication we have is that the home monitoring clients thought they were paying the fees they were required to pay,” and fulfilling their sentences, Calkins said. There was no evidence that Alaniz was conspiring with anybody else, including those who apparently did not serve complete sentences. Those serving home detention will not be required to complete their sentences or be asked to pay the city fees it did not receive.

In one case, Alaniz allegedly made arrangements to meet an inmate at the Lynnwood Police Department as part of a ruse. Alaniz took a $300 payment for home detention, telling the man a receipt would be mailed. Then, Alaniz called Lynnwood police to report that the man was driving illegally. Alaniz knew the man had a suspended license, investigators allege. The man was arrested and Alaniz told the man he must forfeit the cash payment.

The man’s case was later transferred to another officer and he was not made to repay the fee, although the city had no record of the payment, the documents said.

In September, Alaniz started a job with the state Department of Corrections working as a corrections officer in Monroe, said Jeff Weathersby, a corrections department spokesman.

An investigation now will be launched into Alaniz’s fitness for his state job, Weathersby said.

Public records show that Alaniz is married and has owned a home in Marysville since 1999. No one answered the phone at Alaniz’s home on Thursday.

Alaniz appeared briefly in Snohomish County District Court on Thursday.

A public defender argued that Alaniz should be released without bail. Deputy prosecutor Kathy Jo Blake objected. She told judge pro tem Arnold Young that Alaniz has access to money. He also has family members with property in Mexico, Blake said.

Young ruled there were grounds to hold Alaniz on eight counts, and set bail at $25,000.

“Most people who have an important responsibility with a government agency carry out their responsibilities honorably,” Calkins said. “In this case our investigation found there was a problem. I think it’s pretty rare.”

Herald reporter Jim Haley contributed to this story.

Reporter Jackson Holtz: 425-339-3437 or jholtz@heraldnet.com.