Douglass assistant charged with pawning jewelry

A former assistant of real estate developer Harlan Douglass who’s suspected of stealing $800,000 cash from his former boss’ safe has been criminally charged for allegedly pawning stolen jewelry.

Prosecutors charged Bryan J. Reilly, 24, with possession of stolen property and trafficking in stolen property July 27. Court documents say Reilly sold two rings belonging to Douglass and his wife at Austin’s Fine Jewelers for more than $20,000 in March 2014.

Through his attorney, Reilly denied stealing the rings and said the charges were being driven by other members of the Douglass family. Reilly’s attorney, Kevin Roberts, said Reilly sold one of the rings with Harlan Douglass’ permission and the other ring belonged to Reilly.

The charges are the result of a nearly year-long investigation into the theft of about $800,000 cash from a safe on Douglass’ property last September. Reilly later found about half the missing cash in the woods on Douglass’ 59-acre Colbert property and turned it in, court documents say.

In the process of investigating that theft, detectives became aware that some rings had been reported missing from the Douglass’ home and determined Reilly was a suspect.

Search warrants filed in the cash theft case show a detective from the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office concluded the theft was an inside job and appeared to be narrowing the focus on Reilly.

No criminal charges in that theft have been filed and the investigation is ongoing, Sheriff’s Office spokesman Deputy Mark Gregory said.

Douglass has filed a civil suit against Reilly alleging he stole the cash and demanding he return it. A judge ordered Reilly to surrender the title to his truck in May. Douglass’ attorney argued Reilly purchased the truck with stolen money.

Roberts said the civil case is in the process of discovery. He said Douglass’ son and other members of the family also had access to the safe and have been trying to blame Reilly for the thefts to shift focus away from them.

“Bryan was not the only suspect or person with opportunity,” he said.