A bizarre suspicion that donations to the Noxon Food Bank were not being delivered led to the arrest of a Trout Creek resident and the recovery of over 150 cases and boxes of mostly unusable foods.
Sanders County Deputy Martin Spring made an arrest Tuesday, May 9 after being led to the home of Earle Hussell by board members from the Noxon Community Center where the food bank is operated.
At Hussell’s home, officers and Food Bank volunteers found an “unbelievable” amount of food that had never been delivered.
Sheriff Gene Arnold said that he was called to assist and completely filled a horse trailer with boxes of food that were then taken back to the food bank for sorting.
Hussell, 84, has been formally charged with felony theft and felony burglary relating to the action. He made an initial appearance before Acting Justice of the Peace Wanda James Friday and then posted a $5000 bond to be released from jail. He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing in Justice Court but more likely the matter will be refiled in District Court and his next appearance will be scheduled before one of the two District Judges.
Food Bank directors Judith Simonson and Mickie Dobson had each independently arrived at the conclusion that the food bank was not getting all the food they were given. Because they worked separate shifts they hadn’t never shared suspicions, but when the board held a meeting recently, they found others had reached similar conclusions.
Tuesday, May 9, Simonson went to the Thompson Falls Grocery Surplus Store, a business that has been very generous to the Food Bank, and asked if there were any donations ready. She learned that Hussell had picked up 15 boxes that morning. Suspicious, Simonson asked about a record of donations and learned that Hussell had regularly been picking up donations and has been picking up donations for the past three years.
Simonson knew immediately that most of those donations had never arrived.
She called Dobson to see if that day’s donations had arrived and learned they hadn’t.
They then went to the Sheriff’s Office and an investigation was launched.
Ironically, one of Hussell’s neighbors dropped off a donation late Tuesday and Dobson and Simonson inquired about any boxes seen on Hussell’s property. The neighbor said they had seen numerous boxes stacked around the property and visible in open buildings.
With that knowledge a request was made to search the property. Hussell readily granted permission.
Sheriff Arnold said they found stacks of boxes of foodstuffs in several places, including three outbuildings on the property. They removed 150 boxes of food, enough to fill his horse trailer.
Spring then prepared the citations charging Hussell.
Simonson said the boxes of food were returned to the Community Center where they were surveyed and sorted for usefulness. Almost all of the food, said Simonson, was useless and then was given to a swine farm where it could at least do some good.
Simonson said the situation was very disheartening.
“We have been unable to meet the needs of hundreds of people,” she told the Ledger. “We thought we were just having fewer donations and more requests, but now we know a lot of generous donations were not being delivered and we were coming up short on provisions for needy families.”
Noxon Food Bank volunteers feel there may have been other thefts from the building as well.
In a statement provided to law enforcement, Simonson and Dobson listed several other items seen at Hussell’s residence during the investigation. They found clothing suspected as coming from the Community Center, army blankets destined for veterans, stuffed toys, healthcare products, small appliances, books, toys, shoes and sofa cushions. They allege the goods likely belonged to the center and were taken by Hussell.
It was because of these items, alleged to have been stolen, that a burglary charge was filed. Hussell did not have legal access to the center outside business hours.
As part of his release from jail, defendant Hussell was told to have no contact with any of the board members of the food bank, go near the food bank or contact Grocery Surplus.
The penalties for felony theft are up to 10 years in prison and/or a fine of up to $50,000.
Oddly, some of the foodstuffs found at Hussell’s home included baby foods.