LAKEWOOD, Wash. - A Lakewood Police officer who served as the treasurer of the Lakewood Police Independent Guild has been arrested for allegedly embezzling more than $120,000 from the Fallen Officers’ Fund.
The fund is intended to benefit the families of four Lakewood Police Officers who were killed in the line of duty in November 2009.
Skeeter Timothy Manos, 34, of Dupont, was arrested at the Lakewood City Hall on Wednesday morning and charged with 10 federal felonies.
According to the criminal complaint, Manos set up a secret bank account for donations to the Lakewood Police Officers' families. He diverted approximately $151,000 intended for the families to this account. He then used about $120,000 from the account for purchases at Costco, Home Depot, for Alaska Airlines tickets to Las Vegas, and for cash withdrawals at various casinos.
The stolen money was just a portion of more than $3.2 million the public contributed for the benefit of the families of the murdered officers.
"Stealing from the children of our fallen officers is disgraceful," said Pierce County Prosecutor Mark Lindquist. "While these allegations are despicable, we should not lose sight of the honorable work the Lakewood Police Department does for our community."
