SPOKANE, Wash. — A former Spokane County liability claims technician pleaded guilty to stealing $1.38 million in public funding to the attorney general's office.
Rhonda Sue Ackerman was arraigned in October 2021 for theft charges. Ackerman had originally filed fake claims for "claimants". The "claimants" would then direct the money back to Ackerman, who used the money to pay for her gambling habit, gifts and new cars. Ackerman cashed fraudulent checks from 2007 to 2016.
The Attorney General's Office recommended a sentence of one year in prison, on top of returning $1.38 million.
Ackerman was first found when the Spokane County Auditor's office found an uncashed check for $8,963.45. Investigations by the Washington State Auditor, the Spokane Police Department, the Attorney General's Office and the IRS soon followed. The Spokane County Prosecutor's Office then referred the case to the Attorney General's Office.
“My prosecutors and I are committed to holding those who engage in public corruption accountable,” Attorney General Bob Ferguson said in a press release. “These prosecutions protect taxpayers and preserve the public trust.”
Ackerman's sentence hearing is scheduled for Jan. 4, 2023.
DOWNLOAD THE KREM SMARTPHONE APP
DOWNLOAD FOR IPHONE HERE | DOWNLOAD FOR ANDROID HERE
HOW TO ADD THE KREM+ APP TO YOUR STREAMING DEVICE
ROKU: Add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching for KREM in the Channel Store.
Fire TV: Search for "KREM" to find the free app to add to your account. Another option for Fire TV is to have the app delivered directly to your Fire TV through Amazon.
To report a typo or grammatical error, please email webspokane@krem.com.