Lewiston man sentenced in country club grand theft
Casey J. Brown was given a withheld judgment and will pay $58,000 to the company
A former Lewiston Golf and Country Club employee was sentenced to withheld judgment and ordered to pay $58,000 after stealing from the golf club.
Casey J. Brown, 32, of Lewiston, was sentenced Thursday by 2nd District Judge Michelle Evans at the Nez Perce County Courthouse. Brown pleaded guilty to grand theft in August.
Evans sentenced Brown to withheld judgment, meaning that if he completes his sentence the case can be dismissed. Brown was sentenced to serve six years of probation, 15 days of jail, 60 hours of community service and pay court costs of $245.50 in addition to the $58,000 to the Lewiston Golf and Country Club. Evans also gave the option of 30 days discretionary jail time the probation officer can use if needed.
The sentence came after a rule 11 plea agreement, meaning that the judge has to follow the agreement or the defendant can revoke their guilty plea and the case goes to trial. Evans said that there was a previous agreement, but she didn’t accept it. Attorneys then worked out an amended agreement that was given to Evans just before sentencing and she agreed to follow it. Nez Perce County Deputy Prosecutor Jazz Patzer and defense attorney Rick Cuddihy didn’t offer an argument before the court on the sentence, but asked that the court follow the agreement.
Evans told Brown that he had a lot of factors in his favor that allowed for probation. He has a minimal criminal history, low risk to reoffend, lots of support from people and doesn’t have mental health or substance abuse issues. She told him that he wasn’t a “typical defendant” that she sees in court.
“You are, on paper, just a regular run-of-the-mill fella, which makes it harder to understand why you are here before me,” Evans said.
She attributed his actions to greed.
“You wanted something that wasn’t yours and you took it,” Evans said.
Those actions impacted Lewiston Golf and Country Club and the community, which is why she couldn’t accept the original plea agreement. She told Brown that she thought the amended agreement was “a little light” but it was negotiated between the prosecution, the defense and the victim, who all agreed to it. Also as part of the agreement other charges of grand theft and tax evasion were dismissed.
Brewster may be contacted at kbrewster@lmtribune.com or at (208) 848-2297.
