OLYMPIA…Sen. Bob McCaslin, R-Spokane Valley, wants to give law enforcement and prosecutors a tool they need to put clever scam artists in jail. 

Senate Bill 5380 would extend the statute of limitations for first- and second-degree theft to the time that a theft is discovered when the discovery was hampered by ongoing efforts by the defendant to conceal the crime through fraud, deceit or misrepresentation. 

Under current law, the statute of limitations runs six years from the commission of the crime. 

“It’s a very sad fact that people, especially the elderly who live alone, fall prey to schemes that can be concealed because the perpetrator is otherwise associated with a legitimate business,” McCaslin said. “People might not even know they’ve been swindled for years, or in the case of elderly people, their family might discover the crime after the person dies.” 

“When people lose their life savings or their property through a phony investment, the trauma is real and recovery may not be possible. When that happens, justice may be the only thing we can offer,” McCaslin said. 

SB 5380 has been referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee. 

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Additional contact: Penny Drost
(360) 786-7522