Previous director guilty of theft from feral cat-spay clinic

EVERETT — The previous executive director of a Lynnwood feline welfare organization will not experience jail time for embezzling a lot more than $61,000 to aid his gambling dependancy.

Jason Thompson, 39, pleaded guilty Monday in Snohomish County Superior Court docket to initial-degree theft prices for defrauding the Feral Cat Spay/Neuter Job in 2018.

He’ll pay out upward of $46,000 in restitution to the venture he at the time led.

“This incident has hurt me in so numerous different approaches,” Thompson informed Choose Janice Ellis all through the listening to. “The animal welfare field is my enthusiasm, it is my really like and this addiction has taken that absent from me.”

In June 2018, a bookkeeper for the nonprofit recognized discrepancies in the clinic’s bank account, according to charging papers. Thompson faulted a lender error for the missing cash on at minimum two situations, and voluntarily replaced the dollars.

He also submitted fake invoices worth thousands of dollars from organizations the clinic had beforehand partnered with for a fundraising party. In charging papers, a Lynnwood officer pointed out obvious variations in the checks cashed by Thompson.

In a July meeting with the bookkeeper, Thompson reportedly reported he utilized the income for gambling. He ongoing to withdraw income before his termination at the close of the thirty day period.

At the time, Thompson paid back again $10,000.

“The amount of cash that you wrongfully acquired as a result of this is a gorgeous volume of funds,” Choose Ellis mentioned. “I never know a ton about how you could purloin that substantially funds, in that quick of time.”

But the choose commended Thompson, who in accordance to his lawyer participates weekly in procedure for his gambling habit and has voluntarily banned himself from spot casinos. He now resides out of condition to stay closer to his daughter.

According to a plea settlement, Thompson will not go to jail, but will pay $46,856.48 to pay back for his criminal offense.

An attorney from the prosecutor’s workplace mentioned Thompson typically would’ve faced 30 days in jail, but protocols in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the recommendation of no jail time.

“My initial reaction to ‘zero days in jail, just spend restitution’ was not beneficial,” Ellis explained. “The driving concern for me is, is it plenty of?”

Ian Davis-Leonard: 425-339-3448 [email protected] Twitter: @IanDavisLeonard.