Todd Gets Hefty Time For Escaping From Jail Meth Maker Broke Out Of Pend Oreille County Jail In October 1997

Fri., May 14, 1999

By John Craig johnc@spokesman.com

A Spokane methamphetamine producer with a history of fleeing justice got a heftier-than-planned sentence Thursday for escaping from the Pend Oreille County Jail in October 1997.

Ryan “Todd” Todd, 25, bargained for a three-month sentence when he pleaded guilty to the second-degree escape charge last August. But he fled again before he could be sentenced and bumped up his criminal history with several Spokane County convictions.

When Todd finally appeared before Pend Oreille County Superior Court Judge Rebecca Baker, his new sentencing range was almost three times greater. She slapped him with the maximum 22 months.

Deputy Prosecutor Tony Koures said Todd agreed not to oppose the sentence in exchange for dismissal of a charge that he possessed a firearm illegally. Even so, Koures said Todd called him a vulgar name in court.

The Pend Oreille County sentence will be tacked on to the 8-1/3 years a Spokane County judge gave Todd in March on two drug convictions, for a total of 10 years. But authorities aren’t done with Todd yet.

He now faces a bail-jumping charge in Spokane County. Todd was arrested in Vermont after allegedly violating terms of his release while awaiting trial on charges that he manufactured methamphetamine and intended to deliver it.

Those charges sprang from the meth lab Todd ran in a rented Spokane house after escaping from the Pend Oreille jail by climbing over a fence in the exercise yard. When he was recaptured last March at Newman Lake, Spokane County authorities said they believed Todd was one of the largest producers of methamphetamine in Eastern Washington.

Pend Oreille sheriff’s deputies said Todd narrowly eluded capture two months earlier when they raided the rural Newport-area home of one of his brothers, Walter Todd, and found a meth lab and bomb factory. Ryan Todd escaped on a stolen snowmobile, officers said.

When Todd escaped earlier from the Pend Oreille jail, he was being held on 1997 Spokane County charges that he illegally possessed a gun and a controlled substance. He was convicted of those charges in January this year, and a jury found him guilty of the 1998 methamphetamine charges in February.

This sidebar appeared with the story: SENTENCES Time adds up Thursday’s sentence is only a part of the prison time faced by Ryan “Todd” Todd: 22 months, received Thursday for an escape charge in Pend Oreille County. 8-1/3 years in March for two drug convictions in Spokane County. Todd still faces a bail-jumping charge in Spokane County.

Local journalism is essential.

Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. Gifts processed in this system are tax deductible.

Meet Our Journalists

Jesse Tinsley

Meet Jesse Tinsley. As a certified drone pilot, this veteran Spokesman-Review photographer often can be seen capturing beautiful aerial photographs of our region. Sometimes though, the job requires getting down with the dogs.
Jim Meehan

Jim Meehan is no stranger to Zag Nation. As the lead writer covering the Gonzaga men’s basketball team, he tells the stories behind the game and gets fans a bit closer to their favorite players.
Molly Quinn

There is no artist in Spokane like Molly Quinn. Her whimsical style is instantly recognizable to readers of The Spokesman-Review. She has painted gorgeous illustrations that instantly elevate the journalism accompanying it. She brings to life the stories that defy photography. She makes our pages better.
Rob Curley

Spokesman-Review editor Rob Curley loves to talk with people and learn about their lives, whether it's a best-selling author or a stranger he meets downtown on his walk to lunch. It's that inquisitive nature combined with a playful sense of storytelling that helps make our newspaper different than most.