Skeeter Manos, 36, a former Lakewood Police Officer, pleaded guilty Friday to second-degree identity theft and forgery.
The Pierce County Prosecuting Attorney's Office sought a high-end sentence in addition to the 33-month sentence he's serving in federal prison for wire fraud.
Manos pleaded guilty to stealing $47,000 from the Lakewood Police Guild and $112,000 from a fund established to benefit the families of the four Lakewood Police officers - Sgt. Mark Renninger and Officers Tina Griswold, Greg Richards and Ronald Owens - who were gunned down by Maurice Clemmons at a coffee shop in 2009.
On Friday, Manos was sentenced to another nine months, this time at the state level.
“These charges were intended to ensure full accountability for the defendant,” said Prosecutor Mark Lindquist. “He previously pled guilty to a federal crime, and now he will be convicted of separate state crimes. We appreciate the work of the Tacoma Police Department and the cooperation of the Lakewood Police Department.
"Lakewood Chief Farrar and his officers actively encouraged the investigation involving this additional victim," he added. "This guilty plea ends a sad chapter.”
According to the Pierce County, in March of 2011, several members of the Lakewood Police Independent Guild requested an audit to explain how guild money was being spent. As guild treasurer, the defendant was responsible for maintaining all financial records and bank accounts for the guild.
On July 14, 2011, the audit was posted on the LPIG website so that all members would have access to its contents. The audit appeared to have been prepared and signed by accountant Roy Ovist.
On Feb. 8, 2012, the defendant was arrested and charged in federal court for embezzling from the Lakewood Police Guild and a fund set up to benefit the families of the four fallen Lakewood Police officers. In March, he pleaded guilty to wire fraud and was sentenced to 33 months in prison. His sentence included restitution of $112,000 to the fund for the families and $47,000 to the Lakewood Police Guild.
Eric Bell, who assumed the position of guild president after the arrest of Manos, contacted Ovist’s office to request copies of the guild’s tax returns. Ovist told Bell that he had not done tax returns for the guild since 2005 and had not prepared or signed the audit. At the request of Chief Farrar, Tacoma Police investigated the forged audit and learned that a copy of that audit had been e-mailed from the address, Roy.Ovist@Yahoo.com.
Ovist reported that he had never used this e-mail address, never had contact with the defendant and had not dealt with LPIG since 2007. A computer analysis determined that the e-mails that purported to be from Ovist all came from the same computer IP address. This IP address matched the defendant’s computer, which had been used to access the guild website and correspond with members.
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