Charges of trafficking in stolen goods filed

A new charge of trafficking in stolen property was filed in superior court Wednesday, Feb. 15, against Cody Alan Richardson, Pullman. The charge alleges Richardson took part in the theft of Kindle electronic readers on two different times at the Wal-Mart in Pullman.

Richardson and another suspect in the case, Deandre Johnson of Spokane, were identified in surveillance tapes. The officer’s account said Wal-Mart employees reported the suspected thefts to police after finding empty boxes for the Kindles at different locations around the store and in a restroom.

Richardson, 20, also faces charges of taking guns from a Winona area residence back in 2009. Prosecution of that case has been delayed several times when Richardson failed to appear for court dates, and he has been the subject of arrest warrants. He had been scheduled to present a petition last month to be admitted into the county’s new drug court.

The report filed said officers obtained a search warrant for Richardson’s residence and found one of the missing Kindles. They also said they recovered Kindles in Spokane.

The Wal-Mart surveillance tapes showed one of the suspects was wearing military articles and investigators later learned Johnson was serving in the Army and had been on leave in Spokane from duty in Afghanistan.