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Former Lakewood Police Officer Gets Maximum Sentence

Amy Radil

A former Lakewood police officer will spend two years and nine months in federal prison and pay immediate restitution. That was the sentence handed down in federal court Friday after he pleaded guilty to embezzlement.


In federal court in Tacoma, former Lakewood police officer Skeeter Timothy Manos faced the anger of the people he stole from. Manos has admitted to embezzling over $150,000 dollars from his police officer's union and the families of fallen officers.

After four Lakewood officers were killed in November 2009, donations poured into the union.

Manos was the treasurer. He created a secret bank account and spent thousands of dollars of those donations on gambling, trips and appliances.

In March, Manos pleaded guilty to one federal count of wire fraud. In his defense, Manos claimed to have a gambling addiction as well as PTSD from his time as a Marine. Speaking outside the courtroom, fellow Lakewood police officer Sgt. John Unfred ridiculed that excuse.

Unfred: "It's quite frankly an insult to anybody who has a legitimate diagnosis of PTSD. For him to come in here and claim that all this crap that he stole and spent money on is because he has PTSD is just that. It's a bunch of crap. And it doesn't sit well with us."

Unfred told the court that Manos violated the sacred trust that officers have with the public. Unfred said Manos began stealing donation checks before the four dead officers were even buried.

Manos apologized in court, saying, "I've dishonored everyone I've liked or loved."

Judge Robert Bryan agreed with federal prosecutors that Manos deserved the highest sentence permitted under federal guidelines. He also ordered Manos to drain his retirement accounts and pay full restitution immediately of $159,000.

In Tacoma, I'm Amy Radil, KUOW News.

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