Spokane, Washington -- On February 5, 2025, United States District Judge Thomas O. Rice sentenced Zachary Peter Timm, age 32, of Spokane, Washington, to 15 years in federal prison for distributing child sexual abuse material. Judge Rice also imposed 10 years of supervised release and $48,000 of restitution to Defendant's victims.

According to court documents and information presented at the sentencing hearing, on February 21, 2023, law enforcement acted on several tips that Timm had been uploading child exploitation material online.  Agents executed a search warrant at Timm's home in Spokane Valley and seized a computer and several smart phones. Investigators located more than 13,000 files of child sexual abuse material, including more than 1,000 videos on electronic devices. The images and videos included depictions of minors younger than the age of 12.

Agents also found chats between Timm and others online where they discussed and exchanged child sexual abuse material. Timm told some of these individuals he had sexually abused children in the past and expressed his desire to abuse more children in the future.

"Today's sentencing sends a clear message that those who engage in the distribution of child sexual abuse material will be held fully accountable for their actions," said Acting Special Agent in Charge Matthew Murphy, who oversees HSI operations in the Pacific Northwest. "Protecting children is our top priority, and we are unwavering in our commitment to bringing those who exploit and harm them to justice. This case reinforces that there is no place in our society for those who contribute to the abuse and exploitation of children, and we will continue to pursue justice with relentless determination."

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

This case was investigated by Homeland Security, Washington State Patrol, and the Spokane Police Department, which make up the Eastern Washington Missing and Exploited Children Task Force (MECTF), a Washington State Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) affiliate. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ann T. Wick.

2:23-cr-00136-TOR

Spokane, Washington - U.S. Attorney Vanessa Waldref announced today the Eastern District of Washington collected $17,718,306.41 in criminal and civil actions in Fiscal Year 2024. Of this amount, $16,087,963.29 was collected in criminal actions and $1,630,343.12 was collected in civil actions. 

Additionally, the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Eastern District of Washington worked with other U.S. Attorney's Offices and components of the Department of Justice to collect an additional $937,600 in civil cases pursued jointly by these offices.

"Thanks to the excellent work by our office's Financial Litigation Unit and Affirmative Civil Enforcement team more than $17 million was recovered in 2024," said U.S. Attorney Vanessa Waldref. "Recovering criminal restitution owed to crime victims and civil debts owed to the United States is a vital part of our mission. The $16 million in criminal restitution collections will assist victims in their recovery process and hold criminals accountable for their crimes."

The types of cases for which the United States often is able to collect include criminal and civil actions such as:

• More than $11.7 million in criminal restitution collected in United States v. Easterday, which is known as the "Ghost Cattle" case involving the fraudulent invoicing of non-existent cattle in the amount of $244 million (https://www.justice.gov/usao-edwa/pr/tri-cities-rancher-sentenced-eleven-years-federal-prison-and-ordered-pay-244-million);

• More than $2.1 million in criminal restitution collected in United States v. Mize et al, which represents the proceeds from cash, real properties, cars, boats, and other assets seized from several defendants in a far-reaching insurance fraud scheme (https://www.justice.gov/usao-edwa/pr/fraud-ringleader-and-former-fugitive-william-mize-sentenced-12-years-federal-prison); 

• $478,935 in criminal restitution collected in United States v. Anwar, in which Sami Anwar received a 28 year prison sentence for falsifying human clinical research trials in connection with a fraud scheme (https://www.justice.gov/usao-edwa/pr/richland-business-owner-sentenced-more-28-years-federal-prison-falsifying-human);

• $341,480 in criminal restitution collected in United States v. Jason Jordan, which involved the fraudulent sale of counterfeit airbags on eBay (https://www.justice.gov/usao-edwa/pr/moxee-man-sentenced-31-months-federal-prison-selling-counterfiet-airbags-e-bay);

• $887,600 in civil collections in United States v. Multistar Inc., which involved penalties for illegally storing hazardous chemicals and violating federal environmental laws (https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/court-orders-washington-company-comply-regulations-pay-850k-illegally-storing);   

• $700,000 in civil collections from physician Edward William Salko, D.O., and Jackson & Coker LocumTenens, LLC, which involved allegations that they participated in a kick-back scheme to bill Medicare for medically unnecessary durable medical equipment and diagnostic laboratory testing (https://www.justice.gov/usao-edwa/pr/richland-physician-health-care-staffing-company-agree-pay-700000-resolve-false-claims);

• $329,196 in civil collections in United States v. All Star Property Management LLC, which involved claims they falsely and fraudulently claimed hundreds of thousands of dollars in rent assistance intended to benefit struggling renters during the COVID-19 pandemic (https://www.justice.gov/usao-edwa/pr/spokane-property-management-company-agrees-pay-more-300000-fraudulently-claiming);

• $224,620 in civil collections from Justin Leland, which involved allegations he participated in a kick-back scheme to bill Medicare for medically unnecessary durable medical equipment (https://www.justice.gov/usao-edwa/pr/owner-spokane-valley-medical-supply-company-agrees-pay-224620-resolve-allegations).

The U.S. Attorneys' Offices, along with the department's litigating divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the U.S. and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims. The law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss. While restitution is paid to the victim, criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to the department's Crime Victims Fund, which distributes the funds collected to federal and state victim compensation and victim assistance programs.

Spokane, Washington - U.S. Attorney Vanessa Waldref announced today the Eastern District of Washington collected $17,718,306.41 in criminal and civil actions in Fiscal Year 2024. Of this amount, $16,087,963.29 was collected in criminal actions and $1,630,343.12 was collected in civil actions. 

Additionally, the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Eastern District of Washington worked with other U.S. Attorney's Offices and components of the Department of Justice to collect an additional $937,600 in civil cases pursued jointly by these offices.

"Thanks to the excellent work by our office's Financial Litigation Unit and Affirmative Civil Enforcement team more than $17 million was recovered in 2024," said U.S. Attorney Vanessa Waldref. "Recovering criminal restitution owed to crime victims and civil debts owed to the United States is a vital part of our mission. The $16 million in criminal restitution collections will assist victims in their recovery process and hold criminals accountable for their crimes."

The types of cases for which the United States often is able to collect include criminal and civil actions such as:

• More than $11.7 million in criminal restitution collected in United States v. Easterday, which is known as the "Ghost Cattle" case involving the fraudulent invoicing of non-existent cattle in the amount of $244 million (https://www.justice.gov/usao-edwa/pr/tri-cities-rancher-sentenced-eleven-years-federal-prison-and-ordered-pay-244-million);

• More than $2.1 million in criminal restitution collected in United States v. Mize et al, which represents the proceeds from cash, real properties, cars, boats, and other assets seized from several defendants in a far-reaching insurance fraud scheme (https://www.justice.gov/usao-edwa/pr/fraud-ringleader-and-former-fugitive-william-mize-sentenced-12-years-federal-prison); 

• $478,935 in criminal restitution collected in United States v. Anwar, in which Sami Anwar received a 28 year prison sentence for falsifying human clinical research trials in connection with a fraud scheme (https://www.justice.gov/usao-edwa/pr/richland-business-owner-sentenced-more-28-years-federal-prison-falsifying-human);

• $341,480 in criminal restitution collected in United States v. Jason Jordan, which involved the fraudulent sale of counterfeit airbags on eBay (https://www.justice.gov/usao-edwa/pr/moxee-man-sentenced-31-months-federal-prison-selling-counterfiet-airbags-e-bay);

• $887,600 in civil collections in United States v. Multistar Inc., which involved penalties for illegally storing hazardous chemicals and violating federal environmental laws (https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/court-orders-washington-company-comply-regulations-pay-850k-illegally-storing);   

• $700,000 in civil collections from physician Edward William Salko, D.O., and Jackson & Coker LocumTenens, LLC, which involved allegations that they participated in a kick-back scheme to bill Medicare for medically unnecessary durable medical equipment and diagnostic laboratory testing (https://www.justice.gov/usao-edwa/pr/richland-physician-health-care-staffing-company-agree-pay-700000-resolve-false-claims);

• $329,196 in civil collections in United States v. All Star Property Management LLC, which involved claims they falsely and fraudulently claimed hundreds of thousands of dollars in rent assistance intended to benefit struggling renters during the COVID-19 pandemic (https://www.justice.gov/usao-edwa/pr/spokane-property-management-company-agrees-pay-more-300000-fraudulently-claiming);

• $224,620 in civil collections from Justin Leland, which involved allegations he participated in a kick-back scheme to bill Medicare for medically unnecessary durable medical equipment (https://www.justice.gov/usao-edwa/pr/owner-spokane-valley-medical-supply-company-agrees-pay-224620-resolve-allegations).

The U.S. Attorneys' Offices, along with the department's litigating divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the U.S. and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims. The law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss. While restitution is paid to the victim, criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to the department's Crime Victims Fund, which distributes the funds collected to federal and state victim compensation and victim assistance programs.

Clarkston, WA -- Clarkston School District will be open on time and follow regular schedules. However, due to road conditions, buses will operate on snow routes.

For details on snow routes, visit the district website: https://www.csdk12.org/page/snow-routes.

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