Pasco man faces 25-year sentence for embezzling from Franklin County
Jan 31, 2013, 3:33 PM | Updated: 3:46 pm
A Pasco man is heading to prison for spending millions of dollars in taxpayer money on gambling and cocaine.
Dennis Huston plead guilty as charged to stealing millions from Franklin County during his time of service for the Public Works Department. The crimes date from 1990 to 2012.
“He engaged in a very complex system in order to hide that money and it went undetected for many years,” says Attorney General Bob Ferguson.
Ferguson credits the Franklin County Auditor’s office for discovering the possible fraud.
The crime is the largest public embezzlement case in the state’s history. Ferguson says he’s very proud of how it was handled.
“Public officials, you cannot violate the public trust, and you’ll be held accountable,” says Ferguson.
Ferguson says Huston faces up to 25 years behind bars and a restitution payment near $3 million.
KIRO Radio Editor Seth Keller contributed to this report.
