Quests Suspects Plead Not Guilty

A mother and her son pleaded not guilty in a Spokane courtroom Monday to charges of stealing federal food subsidies destined for the poor.

Letha Collins, 53 and Darryl Hutchison, 32, were released on their own recognizance and a promise to return for trial in U.S. District Court.

Collins and Hutchison, who served as manager and vice president of the children’s charity group QUESTS, are accused of eating, stealing or letting spoil food from government food programs and the U.S. Defense Department.

QUESTS asked for food from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to feed foster children at a ranch near Deer Park. The food was not used for that, according to a 24-count indictment against Collins and a 20-count indictment against Hutchison.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Tom Rice said the scheme bilked the government out of an estimated $22,000.

Some food was sold and the money used to pay the mortgage on Collins’ Mead home.

Collins, Hutchison and both their lawyers declined comment.

No date has been set for the trial.

, DataTimes