Mason County, WA - The Mason County Sheriff’s Office is releasing the following information pursuant to RCW 4.24.550 and the Washington State Supreme Court decision in State v. Ward, which authorizes law enforcement agencies to inform the public of a sex offenders release when; in the discretion of the agency, the release of information will enhance public safety and protection.

This transient/homeless level 3 registered sex offender has failed to report in for his required weekly reporting.  His whereabouts are unknown.  He is wanted by the Mason County Sheriff's Office for violating his sex offender registration requirements, and he is wanted by the Department of Corrections for failing to report to his community corrections officer.  He is a convicted rapist where he physically overpowered a 15 year old girl and forcibly raped her.  He also confessed to forcibly raping another young girl. 

Shelton, WA - The Department of Corrections has agreed to pay $4 million to a former offender who sustained permanent, severely disabling injuries when he was assaulted by his cellmate at Washington Corrections Center near Shelton in 2006.

Ryan Alwine, 26, was hospitalized and remained in a coma for nearly four months following the attack. The incident occurred in the early morning on September 7, 2006.

“Our deepest sympathies go out to Ryan for the pain and suffering he has endured,” said DOC Secretary Eldon Vail. “This settlement will enable him to continue receiving the medical and rehabilitative care he needs for his lifetime following this senseless, violent act.”  

Olympia – The Washington State Department of Financial Institutions (DFI) and the North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA) today announced a settlement in principle with Wells Fargo Investments LLC.

Wells Fargo will buy back an estimated $1.3 billion in auction rate securities that have been frozen since the auction rate securities markets froze in February 2008.

The settlement is the result of an investigation led by DFI’s Securities Division into Wells Fargo’s practices in connection with its sales of auction rate securities.

''We're pleased this agreement results in reimbursement for Washington consumers," DFI Director Scott Jarvis said. "DFI's Director of Securities Mike Stevenson and his staff are to be commended. The many hours of investigation and their diligent pursuit of this multi-jurisdictional case exemplify their commitment to protecting Washington investors."

OLYMPIA -- Washington State Attorney General Rob McKenna took a leading role in encouraging Congress to get tough on companies that engage in deceptive online sales tactics. McKenna was the only attorney general to testify in connection with Tuesday’s hearing by the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation.

McKenna’s five-page statement describes how certain marketing methods have been purposefully used to deceive consumers into paying monthly membership fees for services they didn’t want.

“I cannot overstate the consumer injury that is occurring because of these marketing methods,” McKenna wrote. “Based on our office’s investigations, we estimate that well over $50 million has been deceptively obtained from Washington consumers over the course of the last four years by a relatively small handful of businesses conducting the type of marketing at issue in the Committee’s investigation.

OLYMPIA - The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) invites public comment through Dec. 16 on a proposal to exchange additional land in eastern Washington with the Washington Department of Natural Resources (WDNR). 

In the second phase of a major land exchange proposed by the two agencies, WDFW would acquire approximately 25,849 acres of shrub-steppe and lower-elevation forest habitats, while WDNR would acquire approximately 12,424 acres of higher elevation forest habitat. 

The proposed exchange would affect properties in Kittitas, Okanogan, Klickitat, Yakima, Asotin and Chelan counties.