Officer in WA accused of stealing from family fund

SEATTLE — A Lakewood police officer was charged with embezzling more than $120,000 from a fund for families of four colleagues who were shot to death on duty then spending some of the money on trips to Las Vegas, the U.S. attorney's office said Wednesday.

Officer Skeeter Timothy Manos also is accused of making purchases at Costco and Home Depot with the money.

"This is a sad day for our community," U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan said in a statement. "These acts betrayed the memory of our fallen heroes, their families, fellow officers and all who supported the fund."

"Stealing from the children of our fallen officers is disgraceful," added Pierce County Prosecutor Mark Lindquist.

Manos, 34, of Dupont, Wash., was arrested without incident at Lakewood City Hall. He was expected to make his first federal court appearance in Tacoma later in the day.

The public contributed more than $3.2 million to the families of the four Lakewood officers who were shot to death by convict Maurice Clemmons in November 2009 at a coffee shop while they were beginning their shifts.

Clemmons fled the scene, sparking a statewide manhunt that ended when a Seattle police officer shot and killed him two days later.

The criminal complaint alleges Manos diverted about $151,000 from the donations to a secret account then used $120,000 of it, including a cash withdrawal at the Bellagio casino in Las Vegas in April 2010.

Lakewood Police Independent Guild president Brian Wurts did not immediately return emails seeking comment.