Officer to plead guilty

SEATTLE – A Lakewood police officer will plead guilty to embezzling more than $120,000 from a fund for families of four colleagues who were killed while on duty.

Documents show Officer Skeeter Timothy Manos will plead guilty to federal charges today in Tacoma.

Prosecutors had said 34-year-old Manos spent the money he embezzled in gambling trips to Las Vegas and shopping sprees of several thousand dollars at Costco and Home Depot.

The public contributed more than $3.2 million to the families of the four Lakewood officers who were shot to death by convict Maurice Clemmons. Clemmons fled the scene, sparking a statewide manhunt, and was shot and killed by a police officer two days later.

Documents show Manos began scheming to divert the money just seven weeks after the Nov. 29, 2009, shooting.