YAKIMA — Two Tri-Cities lawyers have pleaded guilty to taking $160,000 in donations that were made to resolve drunken driving, domestic violence and other cases, and each faces up to 10 years in prison.
In a plea agreement accepted Tuesday in U.S. District Court, Tyler M. Morris, 36, a former Kennewick assistant city attorney, and Jeffrey L. Finney, 50, formerly a contract defense lawyer for Benton County, agreed to make full restitution for money they failed to turn over to Kennewick’s Home Base recreation program for wayward teens.
Morris pleaded guilty to soliciting a bribe and Finney to offering a bribe.
In a case brought in December, Morris was charged with conspiracy, theft and soliciting a bribe and could have faced up to 25 years in prison and fines of $750,000, while Finney was charged with bribery and conspiracy to aid and abet in theft and could have faced 10 years and a $500,000 fine.
Each now faces up to 10 years and $250,000 in fines when they are sentenced by Judge Lonnie R. Suko. Government lawyers are recommending 1&189; years for Finney.
The agreement, announced one week before the start of Morris’ trial, came 22 months after the FBI began investigating a tip that the lawyers had been pocketing cash provided by defendants to help reduce or erase charges in Benton County District Court.
According to court filings, Morris “took advantage to negotiate dispositions” and converted “many of the donations to his own use,” at first acting on his own and then drawing in Finney for 15 months ending in March 2006.
Both lost their jobs last year after the Tri-City Herald revealed they had collected tens of thousands of dollars from defendants without depositing the money with Home Base.
Finney has said he used up to $30,000 to buy drugs because of an addiction to painkillers. Court filings did not specify how the rest of the money was spent, but Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Shogren said the FBI tried to determine whether Morris used some of the money to build a house in Walla Walla and to support a gambling habit.
Finney now has a private law practice. Morris was suspended by the Washington State Bar Association in June for failing to pay of annual dues. Both stand to be disbarred as a result of the guilty pleas, association spokeswoman Judith Berrett said.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
