SPOKANE, Wash. — A former Geiger Corrections mechanic is in jail, accused of stealing tens of thousands of dollars worth of tools and equipment from the prison.
The Spokane County Sheriff's Office served a search warrant at the former mechanic's Spokane Valley home Thursday morning and say he admitted to stealing tools while working at Geiger Corrections Center.
The sheriff's office began investigating earlier this month when a county detention services supervisor reported the theft. Thousands of dollars worth of tools and equipment were missing.
The sheriff's office says 42-year-old Richard Passmore became a prime suspect. A 2020 newsletter lists him as an auto mechanic for the jail. Deputies say Passmore recently quit and said he wanted to work somewhere else.
Authorities established probable cause and a judge signed off an a search warrant for Passmore's Spokane Valley home. Investigators got there early Thursday morning and detained him. They say Passmore admitted to stealing several items from Geiger.
Investigators recovered an estimated $25,000 worth of stolen tools and equipment that belonged to the jail, according to the sheriff's office.
Passmore was booked into the Spokane County Jail for first-degree theft and trafficking stolen property. He's expected to make his first court appearance Friday afternoon.
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