Man Finally Reimbursed For Harley

You don’t need the Amazing Kreskin to tell you that $14,250 is chump change to a guy who owns two Harley-Davidson dealerships.

But the check George Latus received last week from the city of Portland may be worth an additional million bucks in pure satisfaction.

Latus has spent a frustrating year trying to get reimbursed for a used Harley. He loaned the bike to Portland and federal crime fighters, who wanted to use it as a decoy to nail a gang of motorcycle thieves.

The bike, however, was stolen out from under the noses of Drug Enforcement Administration cops. After that, none of the agencies involved would honor a signed contract promising to pay Latus in the event of a loss.

“I’m quite happy,” says Latus, who owns motorcycle dealerships in Spokane and Portland. “I’m also officially out of the loaning-bikes-to-the-police business.”

While not admitting liability, the city of Portland covered Latus’ attorney fees in addition to the bike.

“The bottom line,” says Portland deputy city attorney Scott Moede, “is I think the city is pleased that the claim between the city and Latus Motors is finally resolved.”

The payoff puts an end to an embarrassing misadventure in law enforcement that began June 29, 1999.

That’s the day Portland police officer Dan Thompson came into Latus Motors with a request for a bike to use in a multiagency sting.

Latus agreed to lend the police a motorcycle for 60 days at no cost. He once lost a bike to thieves and saw Thompson’s proposal as a way to do some good.

Before Thompson left, Latus typed up a brief contract outlining the terms:

“If the motorcycle is ultimately not returned, Latus Motors Harley-Davidson Inc. will be reimbursed for the loss of the motorcycle at their actual cost, which is $14,250.”

Thompson signed. A few days later, two undercover DEA agents loaded the 1994 Harley Softail into a rented trailer.

The Harley, alas, never made it to the bait stage.

The bike and trailer were stolen in a restaurant parking lot while these two Serpicos were eating lunch.

“Think of the embarrassment,” adds Latus. “It was pretty comical.”

Thompson’s supervisor, Lt. Randy Kane, told Latus that the officer had no authority to sign such a contract. Thompson became the scapegoat. He was kicked off the Criminal Intelligence Unit and relegated to patrol.

Despite his troubles, Thompson admires Latus for being willing to help and praises the city for doing the right thing.

“I’m thankful that George got paid,” says Thompson, “and I think the city came through absolutely as champs.”

To update another recent column: It took two difficult rounds of chemotherapy, but Deanna Clark’s leukemia is finally in remission.

That’s the good news.

The not-so-good news is that Deanna’s health battles are far from over.

After a short time at home last week, Deanna was readmitted to Deaconess Medical Center - her home away from home for 70-some days. This time she is dealing with high fevers that have resulted from a touch of pneumonia, a not uncommon after-chemo side effect.

She also faces a bone-marrow transplant in Seattle.

“She’s strong in lots of different meanings of the word,” says Deanna’s husband, Matthew. “I think that’s one of the things that attracted me to her in the first place.”

Matthew is a cinematographer for Spokane’s celebrated North by Northwest Productions. Deanna manages Pediatric Therapy Specialists, a physical rehab clinic for children.

Married last May, the two 29-year-olds were barely back from a honeymoon in Central America when Deanna began to experience high fevers.

A few days later, she was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia. It is an aggressive form of cancer that is rapidly fatal if left untreated.

This sidebar appeared with the story:

TO HELP

Send donations to the Matt and Deanna Clark Healing Fund, Farmers and Merchants Bank, 508 W. Third, Spokane, WA 99201.