Liberty Lake patrolman’s traffic stop turns federal
Patrolman Clint Gibson earned himself a couple hundred pages of added paperwork when he apprehended two suspects and touched off a federal investigation, last Thursday.
Gibson, who has been with the Liberty Lake Police Department for three years, did a routine license check that resulted in the arrest of a couple suspected of forgery and mail theft.
Vicki Denise Nance, 43, and her companion Christian Przybilski, 39, were booked into Spokane County Jail after Gibson determined the plates and expiration tags on their ‘93 Ford Taurus were stolen.
“Vicki was extremely nervous. Her voice was shaky. The passenger, Christian, broke into a sweat,” Gibson recalled.
After being pulled over, Nance got out of the car and knocked out a scale that tested positive for methamphetamine residue.
Things went from bad to worse for the suspected crooks when a pipe with meth traces and a baggie of meth crystals turned up. Gibson then found a stack of computer-generated checks, which contained routing and account information from multiple sources.
Six credit cards were found in the car, and police say one was confirmed stolen.
The majority of 10 temporary licenses discovered had different names but featured Przybilski’s photo.
Nance tried to pass fake identification for herself, Gibson said, adding the computer-generated cards looked convincing.
“If you didn’t have a trained eye, they would be able to pass as real,” he explained.
Things got federal when Gibson uncovered two bags of opened and unopened mail in the backseat.
After he found the mail in the car, Gibson received a search warrant to access the trunk, which contained boxes and bags of mail from zip codes stretching from Cheney to Post Falls.
Some of it may have been nabbed from mailboxes. Other pieces were mixed in with garbage, he said, adding, “That leads us to believe they are probably dumpster diving.”
The suspects were booked for possession of a controlled substance, financial fraud and possession of stolen property in the second degree.
Postal inspectors were expected to look over the evidence this week.
Council OKs architects request
After overcoming a battle of semantics, Liberty Lake’s City Council approved a request for architects to design a civic center.
The complex will be built on 6.4 acres of prime real estate that the city recently purchased for $1.75 million and become a recreational hub for Liberty Lake residents.
Selected architects will host public meetings to gage the activities that most interest local citizens. Designs will incorporate community ideas and recreational needs.
Council members agreed the main focus of the project is to develop a civic master plan that includes a library and community center.
Taco Time is coming to town
Taco Time is going to give Taco Bell a run for its money in Liberty Lake.
The fast-food restaurant is moving into the vacant Burger King building on North Liberty Lake Road.
Burger King closed in March. No date has been set for Taco Time’s arrival.