Spokane County defender accused of using charity as $40K slush fund

John “Sather” Gowdy, a Spokane County public defender and founder of Heal Spokane, has been placed on leave after allegedly misusing more than $40,000 in nonprofit funds.

He currently faces eight money laundering charges. The charges stem from his alleged misuse of funds from the organization he founded to support people experiencing homelessness, according to The Spokesman-Review.

Gowdy, 37, was charged on April 16 with first-degree theft and eight counts of money laundering. Detective Tim Schwering interviewed members of Heal Spokane’s board, who claimed Gowdy used the organization as a “slush fund” for buying candle supplies, energy drinks, toy guns, and gambling.

The investigation began in July 2023, when an assistant attorney general contacted law enforcement after Gowdy was removed from his leadership role in March 2023 following concerns about financial misuse.

Spokane defender accused of charity fraud

Heal Spokane board member Katherine “Kat” R. Bopp told investigators that an internal audit revealed a slew of alarming purchases.

In one example, Gowdy claimed to have bought sleeping bags for children, but records showed the purchase was for toy guns. Heal Spokane is entirely volunteer-run; however, board members also discovered multiple withdrawals from a Numerica Credit Union account that matched the amounts Gowdy used to play slot machines at Northern Quest Resort & Casino.

Gowdy also claimed he used some of the organization’s money to purchase gloves and socks for people in need, but the audit showed he instead bought Tide Pods and molds for personal crafting projects.

A summons issued Friday requires Gowdy to appear before Superior Court Judge Rachelle Anderson on May 9.