Evergreen Reporter

OLYMPIA — Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced today that former Spokane County worker Rhonda Sue Ackerman has pleaded guilty to one count of first-degree theft. Ackerman was employed as a liability claims technician and stole $1.38 million over the course of a decade from Spokane County by filing fake claims.

Ackerman filed fake claims on behalf of 45 different claimants and requested claim payments from her office. She then directed the claimants, many of whom were relatives or friends of her son, to cash the checks and deliver the bulk of the funds back to Ackerman. According to the state’s charging documents, Ackerman spent the money on frequent gambling, new cars and lavish gifts.

The Attorney General’s Office recommends that the court sentence Ackerman to one year and one day of prison, restitution of $1.38 million and the mandatory $500 victim penalty assessment. A judge will determine the sentence at a sentencing hearing on Jan. 4.

“My prosecutors and I are committed to holding those who engage in public corruption accountable,” Ferguson said. “These prosecutions protect taxpayers and preserve the public trust.”

Case background

Ackerman was arraigned in October of 2021 for the theft charge. Her fraud scheme was discovered when the County Auditor’s Office found an uncashed check for $8,963.45. The check prompted an internal investigation and a follow-up investigation by the Washington State Auditor, as well as criminal investigations by the Spokane Police Department and Attorney General’s Office. The Internal Revenue Service also conducted a criminal investigation.

Ackerman developed a check-cashing operation to finance her gambling habit. Ackerman conducted this fraud between 2007 and 2016, when she was an employee in Spokane County’s Department of Risk Management. Investigators found that she filed fake claims against Spokane County on behalf of people she knew, and directed them to cash the checks and return most of the money to her.

The 45 “claimants” included relatives, family friends, and friends of her then 18-year-old son. Ms. Ackerman gave each “claimant” $100 to $200 for each check cashed. She gave her son $100 to $300 per check for accompanying his friends to the bank. Investigators found that Ms. Ackerman used the trust and access she had as a liability claims technician and as a parent to run the fraud scheme.

The Attorney General’s Office prosecuted the case after receiving and accepting a referral from the Spokane County Prosecutor’s Office. Under state law and the Washington State Constitution, the Attorney General’s Office cannot investigate or prosecute a criminal violation without receiving and accepting a referral. The Attorney General’s Office often handles cases for county prosecutors when they have a conflict, including when a county employee is alleged to have committed a crime. Consequently, the Attorney General’s Office specializes in handling cases involving public corruption or other malfeasance by public employees.

Without accepting a referral, the Attorney General’s Office has no jurisdiction over criminal matters.

The Spokane County Prosecutor’s Office referred the matter to the Attorney General’s Office to avoid conflict of interest, since the suspect and most witnesses in the case were current or former county employees, and the funds were taken from the county.

Assistant Attorney General Barbara Serrano is handling the case for the state.

Original source can be found here.