Bulletin column

AUDIT CLEARS FRAUD

ALLEGATION

Colfax Mayor Todd Vanek Monday night reported the city has attempted to contest the billings on a recently completed state audit report which could cost the city between $28,000 and $32,000. Vanek said part of the city’s objection to the report involved a billing to the city for checking out a city allegation of fraud involved with the city books.

Vanek confirmed that the state audit team did not find any fraud in its inspection. The state audit covered the years 2011, 2012 and 2013.

City Administrator Michael Rizzitiello reported he and Finance Director Candace Fisher prepared folders of what they believed could have been fraud and presented them to the state auditing team.

Rizzitiello reported Tuesday the auditors pointed out city problems which derived from a lack of policy and practices.

A copy of the preliminary audit report has been sent to the city.

Rizzitiello said a normal audit report for the city’s books has been in the $12,000 to $13,000 range.

Both Vanek and Rizzitiello Monday night said they were frustrated with state policy which required towns to use the state auditors for review of city finances. They said a move is underway that would allow cities to hire auditors from a private company as is done in other states.

City Councilwoman Jeannette Solimine Tuesday said Monday night was the first time she had been aware that any type of fraud investigation had been involved in the audit.

Mayor Vanek Monday night said he and the city administrator had advised the council’s finance committee, but opted not to advise all members of the council because of the potential personnel matters which could have been involved. He admitted he could have subsequently informed other council members after state auditors reported they found no evidence of fraud.

The city’s objection to state billing for the audit was that the state included time spent on the erroneous fraud report with the billing for the three-year audit. The city has contended the state would have checked out the fraud allegation without a fee if it had been requested at some time other than when the routine audit was underway.

POLICE CAR UP FOR PUBLIC SALE

Colfax Police Chief Rick McNannay Monday announced the city will offer a 2003 Crown Victoria, one of two squad cars which were declared surplus by the city council, for sale to the public with a price set at $2,500. The price includes an “or best offer” tag.

The 2003 car and a 2004 Crown Victoria were declared surplus as part of the city’s move to purchase two 2013 Ford Interceptors to upgrade the police fleet. Part of the plan also involved the sale of the city’s 1948 three-wheel motorcycle which generated objections from some residents.

McNannay said the department will attempt to sell the 2004 Crown Victoria, which has 110,000 miles on the odometer, to another police department or other agency.

One of the 2013 Interceptors has been on-line for duty for approximately a month. The second 2013 car now has Colfax Police decals and lights but is awaiting a radio installation before it can go on duty.

ATTACK NETS 15 MONTHS

Alexander Jeung, 21, was sentenced to 15 months in the state prison system Friday afternoon in Whitman County Superior Court on a reduced charge of attempted indecent liberties. The conviction dates back to Jan. 10, 2013, when he attacked two WSU students in a parking lot.

Jeung was also fined $2,500. The sentence, which was more than the minimum in the standard range, included 36 months of supervision after Jeung is released from prison. He was ordered to participate in a state training program for sexual deviancy.

Friday’s court record included a written statement from the victim who described how Jeung stalked her as she was walking to her apartment from a fraternity gathering. The victim was actually talking on a cell phone to her boyfriend at the time she was attacked.

She told the court she felt Jeung was getting a break in the plea bargain but said she was relieved to know that her attacker has been convicted, unlike those of many other victims.

Jeung was ordered to have no contact with the victim. During his 36 months of supervision, he was ordered to refrain from drinking and use of marijuana, report changes of address and jobs and submit to urine tests and examinations.

TWO HURT IN COLLISION

Drivers of two vehicles involved in a collision on Stephen Road west of St. John Friday night sustained injuries. According to the accident report by Deputy Sgt. Chris Chapman, James Simpson, 43, St. John, had to be extricated from the 2001 Jeep he was driving and was then transported to Whitman Hospital for treatment of a hip injury.

Mallan Johnson, 43, St. John, sustained minor injuries in the collision and was not transported from the scene.

According to the accident report, Johnson was driving a 2010 Chevrolet Traverse northbound on Stephen Road and drove into the oncoming lane when he became disoriented by the cloud of dust from other vehicles using the road. The Traverse collided with a 2001 Jeep Cherokee which was being driven southbound by Simpson.

EMT crews from St. John, Rosalia and Colfax responded to the scene of the collision.

ST. IGNATIUS CLEANUP ‘ONGOING’

Volunteers Friday and Saturday put in long hours cleaning up brush and debris from the former St. Ignatius property located between Mill and East streets on the south hill of Colfax. The new Colfax Explorer Scout post was assisted by several volunteers in attempting to clear the property.

City Administrator Mike Rizzitiello estimated between 15 and 20 volunteers worked at the site at different times over the two days. He said members of the scout post plan to continue work during the week, but he anticipates another organized cleanup by public volunteers will be needed.

People working to clear debris and garbage from behind and around the power house building, which is located on the East Street side of the hospital, found layers of debris which had been left at the site.

Rizzitiello said one of the aims Saturday was to clear a drive entry into the power house property so police cars could better check the site on patrols.

RESPONSE

AT ROSALIA

Deputies Friday responded at 4:30 p.m. to a report from the Rosalia school of a possible gun infraction. The investigation report said a male was walking along Whitman Street in Rosalia with a rifle. He was later apprehended outside of the Brass Rail in Rosalia.

Sheriff Brett Myers said the individual was lawfully carrying a weapon and was not arrested. He was not on the school grounds.

However, he was advised to use some discretion because his walk along Whitman Street resulted in calls to the sheriff’s office and a response to the scene by deputies.

AIRPORT ROAD CRASH

Three cars were involved in a rear-end chain accident on the Moscow-Pullman Airport Road Sunday at 1:03 p.m. near the Airway Hills driving range east of Pullman. A total of eight people were in the three cars, but nobody was injured, according to Deputy Sgt. Dan Brown.

Jacqueline Villanueva, who was driving a 2001 Mitsubishi Montero westbound, failed to stop in time to avoid striking the back of a 2001 Chevrolet Equinox driven by Chris Rose which had been stopped in the westbound lane. The Equinox was pushed into the back of a 2011 Ford Escape which was driven by Bethany Krause who was attempting to make a left turn into the driving range.

Krause is a UI student and Rose and Villanueva are WSU students.

SUSPECT ON

FURLOUGH

Spencer Walior, 23, Pullman, the suspect arrested after crashing through the ceiling of Stubblefield’s college hill bar in Pullman on April 3 before closing time, was allowed a jail furlough Friday to undergo in-patient treatment for substance abuse. Walior was placed in the custody of his mother who told the court she had arranged for her son to undergo a 21-day in-patient treatment.

Walior Friday pleaded not guilty to a charge of second-degree burglary. He was scheduled for a trial June 15.

His alleged crash through the ceiling of the bar appeared on a surveillance tape, and the police report said the suspect was identified because he had been identified in another alleged break-in on the same night.

Walior was booked into the jail here April 8 and held on $10,000 bond.

Walior also faces a court hearing on whether or not he will be suspended from the drug court program. He was allowed to participate in the program last August as an alternative to being prosecuted on a charge of breaking into Utopia Smoke shop in Pullman Dec. 13, 2013. Removal from the court would result in resumption of prosecution on the Utopia burglary charge.

Chief Deputy Prosecutor Dan Le Beau Friday objected to the 20-day furlough. He noted Walior is now suspected in three different burglary cases.

FRATERNITY RENT SAID OVERDUE

A complaint for unlawful detainer and eviction summons was filed April 15 in superior court against the WSU Delta Chi alumni association. The complaint alleges $61,737 due under a lease agreement taken out for the fraternity house at 800 NE Colorado Street in Pullman. In addition to the alumni association, the suit lists “occupants 1-16.” The suit was filed on behalf of Boyu Liu of Pullman, owner of the building.

A copy of the Dec. 6, 2013, lease agreement was filed with the court action.

In addition to the alleged sum due on rent, the suit alleged the defendants owe $19,902 in unpaid property taxes under terms of the lease.

The filing asks the court to terminate the lease, a writ of restitution of the property to the owner and payment of the alleged rent due along with late fees and interest, as well as the tax due sum.

The eviction summons notifies the tenants that an order for eviction to be executed by the sheriff will be sought with the deadline for filing any response set at 5 p.m. today, April 23.

HIT and RUN

CONVICTION

Cheryl Anne Bynum, 54, former Clarkston resident who was arrested for her high speed drive on N. Grand in Pullman more than a year ago which led to an accident and power outage, was sentenced to a year and a day in jail Friday morning after pleading guilty to a charge of hit and run involving an injury. The year and day means she will be remanded to the state prison system.

Bynum was brought back to court here from Rio Rancho, N. M., where she was arrested on a warrant issued by the court after she failed to appear following pre-trial release last year.

She entered the plea under terms of a plea bargain agreement in which the state dropped two other charges against her. Bynum, who has two prior convictions for driving under the influence, was assigned an offender score of two.

According to the arrest report, she drove north on Grand April 7, 2014, at speeds estimated at 70 to 90 mph and entered the oncoming lane of traffic. Her driving caused an oncoming driver to make a sudden stop to avoid a collision and the back of that driver’s car was hit from behind. The last driver went off the grade at the NW Turner intersection and collided with a power pole which caused a power outage.

Bynum was ordered to pay restitution of $530 and $250 to two victims.

She told the court she was very sick at that time and had no recollection of the episode. She said she planned to return to New Mexico after serving her sentence.

ASSISTANT CHIEF RESIGNS

Assistant Police David Szambelan has resigned effective April 3. Szambelan had served as a member of the Colfax Police Department for 29 years under chiefs Barney Buckley, Bill Hickman and Rick McNannay.

Szambelan on patrol for the last 10-plus years was distinctive because he was assigned the 2002 Subaru Outback which was part of the police fleet. He was also active in organizing the Colfax Police Officers Guild.

His resignation was reported to the city council at the April 6 meeting. Chief Rick McNannay said the department, which has already hired two new officers this year, will attempt to hire an officer who has already completed basic police training through an approved lateral hire procedure.