The holiday rental proprietor who employed former Mayor Will Finn and his spouse is accusing them of stealing round $20,000 — a part of a closed Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Workplace investigation.
The sheriff’s workplace is suggesting the Finns be charged with first- and second-degree theft, however the Lewis County prosecutors haven’t introduced fees as of Wednesday.
Finn additionally faces allegations that he deleted public data from a city-issued cellphone he used whereas serving because the mayor of Woodland from 2016 to 2023, in a separate Thurston County Sheriff’s Workplace investigation.
That sheriff’s workplace has additionally steered Finn be charged — this time with the felony of destroying public data — however no fees have been filed as of Wednesday on this case both. The Finns didn’t reply to calls by deadline.
Finn was positioned on paid administrative go away with Washington State Patrol for his job as a public info officer as of March 11, in accordance with WSP representatives.
Washington State Patrol spokesperson Chris Loftis mentioned he doesn’t have entry to his WSP weapon, ID playing cards or badge, and isn’t permitted to put on his uniform or carry out any duty-related work in the course of the go away.
‘Worst kind of deceit’
Michann Bond, proprietor of short-term leases known as Third Avenue Villas in Woodland, accused each Will and Heather Finn of misusing a financial institution card that belonged to the enterprise.
Bond mentioned the couple had been managing her properties for 4 years.
She alleged the Finns made unauthorized purchases — together with on groceries, pet food and restaurant payments — totaling round $20,000.
“There was like a hundred charges for restaurants,” she mentioned.
Bond mentioned she additionally loaned them one other $20,000, however they haven’t paid it again. She mentioned she tried to settle up with them, however they refused.
Bond mentioned the Finns have been answerable for reserving company and acquiring provides for her Airbnb leases, for which they have been paid a 20 p.c fee on the reserving cost.
She mentioned she reported the alleged thefts to the Woodland Police Division round June, however the case was despatched to the Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Workplace.
She mentioned she trusted Will Finn as a result of they’d been buddies for 10 years and he had a profession in legislation enforcement.
“Boy, was I shocked,” mentioned Bond. “The worst kind of deceit.”
Courtroom data present Bond had not filed a civil swimsuit towards the Finns as of Wednesday.
Lewis County Prosecutor William Halstead mentioned the Lewis County Prosecutor’s Workplace obtained a referral to overview the alleged theft case on the finish of March, however had no timeline on the choice whether or not or to not file fees.
This newest allegation isn’t the primary time Will Finn has come below scrutiny for unauthorized private bills.
A 2024 report from the Workplace of the Washington State Auditor outlined methods the previous mayor misused his city-issued bank card, although he was not charged with against the law for the transactions.
The report doesn’t title Will Finn immediately, however the audit timeframe overlaps together with his tenure as mayor. The report states that the previous mayor made $3,965 value of non-public purchases between March 2022 and November 2023, however the metropolis had solely recovered $3,385. The workplace advisable the town search to get well the lacking $580, however metropolis officers mentioned Wednesday they’d not obtained the lacking funds.
Alleged public data destruction
A Thurston County Sheriff’s Workplace report alleges Will Finn was investigated in 2024 for erasing the contents of his city-issued cellphone he used throughout his time period as Woodland mayor. The contents of the telephone are thought of public file as a result of he was utilizing the gadget for metropolis enterprise as an elected official. The Cowlitz County Sherriff’s Workplace requested Thurston County take over the investigation in early 2024.
A deputy was assigned the case on Feb. 28, 2024, however on account of different instances, the investigator first spoke with present Woodland Mayor Todd Dinehart on Aug. 27 after which Woodland Metropolis Clerk Amanda Hougan the subsequent day.
The report states Hougan advised authorities she tried to meet a public data request that concerned Will Finn’s work telephone however found the gadget had been manufacturing unit reset, and any information linked to the telephone was gone.
Hougan mentioned she requested the previous mayor a number of occasions to put in a pc program on his city-issued cellphone to gather the telephone’s information, the report states, however she mentioned he refused to take action till his final day in workplace, then he reset the gadget.
Woodland Public Assistant Lead Scott Summers additionally mentioned within the report that Will Finn advised him, “Ha ha, good luck getting anything off my phone, I did a factory reset.”
Will Finn mentioned he did the identical on an iPad, however Hougan advised authorities she was unaware of that gadget, the report states.
Will Finn admitted to a Thurston County deputy in September that he did a manufacturing unit reset on his work telephone and downloaded its information onto his private laptop as a result of the Woodland mayoral election had gotten “heated” and “nasty,” the report states. Finn mentioned he didn’t belief Dinehart, and didn’t know what the town would do with the knowledge on his telephone.
Will Finn misplaced to Dinehart in 2023 when the previous mayor obtained roughly 30 p.c of the votes.
Will Finn advised authorities he believed the information from his work telephone was being saved by the IT division on the “back end.” Nevertheless, the deputy famous within the report that if the IT division was saving the telephone’s information, there would have been no cause to erase the contents.
Will Finn additionally gave authorities a USB drive that he mentioned included his saved work telephone’s information. Nevertheless, the deputy writes that there is no such thing as a strategy to affirm if all of his work telephone’s information was transferred to the gadget.
