SPOKANE COUNTY, Wash. — A public defender for Spokane County is facing multiple counts of theft and money laundering through a non-profit he was a part of.
According to an affidavit filed in Spokane Superior Court, John Sather Gowdy is accused of using non-profit ‘Heal Spokane’ to make personal purchases on Amazon and gamble at Northern Quest Casino between 2018 and 2022.
In one instance listed in the affidavit, a whistleblower told law enforcement Gowdy claimed he was buying sleeping bags for children for the non-profit from Amazon but purchased bb-guns instead.
Court documents allege Gowdy stole more than $40,000 during Heal Spokane’s existence. The documents say that is more than 50% of the total money raised by the organization.
A former board member of Heal Spokane told 4 News Now the organization dissolved.
Spokane County told 4 News Now Gowdy is still a public defender at this time.
COPYRIGHT 2025 BY KXLY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS MATERIAL MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, REWRITTEN OR REDISTRIBUTED.
