Kootenai County Prosecuting Attorney's Office

Home
United States
Coeur d'Alene, ID
Kootenai County Prosecuting Attorney's Office

Call Directions Website Contact the organization

Page is intended to keep the citizens of Kootenai County informed about trials, case disposition, etc TRANSPARENCY

Public dialogue is encouraged. b. c. d. e. f. g. h.

All commenters will be asked to adhere to the following guidelines:
- Comments containing links may be removed without notice
- Comments deemed to be spam will be removed without notice
- Comments that are promotional in nature will be removed without notice
- Comments should remain relevant to posted topic
- Comments containing profanity may be removed without notice
- Comments containing abusive, threatening, vulgar, misleading, or libelous may be removed without notice
- Comments that attack and individual directly will be removed without notice
- Comments that harass others may be removed without notice

Please be respectful toward others, even when disagreements occur. LEGAL

Comments containing unprofessional or inappropriate content will not be permitted, and are subject to removal or restriction as determined by the appropriate Elected Official or designee. The following content is strictly prohibited:
a. Content which is profane, obscene, violent, or pornographic, or which contains nudity. Content that is discriminatory or perpetuates discrimination or bias on the basis of race, s*x, national origin, religion, age, s*xual orientation, or any other protected class. Defamatory or personal attacks, or threats to any person or entity. Content in support of or in opposition to any political campaigns or ballots. Solicitation of commerce, including, but not limited to advertising of any business or product for sale. Encouragement of illegal activity or violation of any law. Information that compromises the safety or security of the County, its systems, or employees. Content in violation of a legal ownership interest, such as a patent, copyright, trademark, or which reveals a legally protected trade secret or other proprietary information. i. Content that is protected by attorney-client privilege, when such privilege has not been properly. Any comment posted by a member of the public is the opinion of the commentator or poster only, and publication of a comment does not imply endorsement of, or agreement by, Kootenai County, nor do such comments reflect the opinions or policies of Kootenai County.

10/23/2026

**** NEWS RELEASE ****

HAYDEN MAN SENT TO PRISON FOR POSSESSION OF METHAMPHETAMINE WITH INTENT TO DELIVER

Matthew James Saunders, 42, was convicted of Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Deliver, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and Violation of a Protection Order. The charges stem from an allegation that Saunders was violating a temporary protection order. A temporary protection order was issued in December of 2025 and prohibited Saunders from contacting several people, including a 17-year-old female child. However, the child’s mother grew suspicious that Saunders and the child were sneaking around and meeting in violation of the temporary protection order. Believing that Saunders and the child were at a hotel, the child’s mother called law enforcement to investigate. Deputies located Saunders and the child in a hotel room and, upon searching the hotel room, located drug paraphernalia and over two ounces of methamphetamine.

Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Deliver is a felony, punishable by up to life in prison. Possession of Paraphernalia and Violation of a Temporary Protection Order are misdemeanors, each punishable by up to 1 year in jail. Saunders was sentenced on October 9, 2026, by District Judge Regina McCrea.

At sentencing, Chief Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Art Verharen recommended a unified 15-year prison sentence with parole eligibility after 5 years for the charges.

District Judge Regina McCrea sentenced Saunders to a unified 14-year prison sentence with parole eligibility after 4 years for the charges.

Prosecuting Attorney Stanley T. Mortensen thanks Chief Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Art Verharen for prosecuting the case and the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office for investigating the case.

# # # # #

10/22/2026

**** NEWS RELEASE ****

COEUR D’ALENE MAN SENTENCED TO PRISON FOR POSSESSION OF CHILD P**N

Evan Landen Swope, 22, was convicted of five counts of Sexual Exploitation of Children by Possession of Sexually Exploitative Material (Child Sexual Abuse Material, a.k.a. CSAM or Child Po*******hy).

In December of 2025, officers began investigating a Cybertip indicating Swope was accessing child po*******hy. After obtaining search warrants, officers searched Swope’s computers and cell phones and located evidence indicating Swope had possessed numerous videos depicting child po*******hy and intentionally saved and stored many of the videos. Several of the CSAM videos possessed by Swope depicted violent s*xual abuse against children – including infants and toddlers. Possession of Child Po*******hy is a felony, punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Swope was sentenced on October 19, 2026, by District Judge Regina McCrea.

At sentencing, Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Molly Nivison recommended a unified 20-year unified prison sentence with parole eligibility after 5 years.
District Judge Regina McCrea sentenced Swope to a unified 20-year prison sentence with parole eligibility after 5 years.

Prosecuting Attorney Stanley T. Mortensen thanks Deputy Prosecuting Attorneys Molly Nivison and Shannon Jackson for prosecuting this case and the Coeur d’Alene Department for investigating this case along with the assistance of the Post Falls Police Department, the Moscow Police Department, and the Kootenai County Prosecutor’s investigation team. This office will continue to vehemently prosecute the exploitation of children in an effort to help protect and reach justice for the children and their families.

# # # # #

10/20/2026

**** NEWS RELEASE ****

SPOKANE MAN SENTENCED TO PRISON FOR LEWD CONDUCT WITH A MINOR UNDER SIXTEEN

Noah Thomas Riley Lewis, 23, was convicted of Lewd Conduct With a Minor Under Sixteen. The charge stems from a 2023 investigation into an allegation that Lewis (19 years old at the time) had s*xual contact with a 14-year-old child. During the investigation, officers learned that Lewis had impregnated the child, who was 15 years old at the time. Lewis was interviewed about this conduct and made admissions to having s*x with the victim one time but stated he believed her to be 16 years old. Lewis provided a DNA sample and was advised that the investigation would be referred to the prosecutor’s office for review. Part of the investigation involved waiting until the baby was born so that DNA could be analyzed and confirmed. During this time, Lewis (21 years old at the time) was charged with and convicted of two new crimes stemming from an incident where he had s*xual contact with a 13-year-old child in Spokane, Washington. On November 12, 2025, Lewis received a 20-month sentence in the Spokane case.

Lewd Conduct With a Minor Under Sixteen is a felony, punishable by up to life in prison. Lewis was sentenced on September 30, 2026, by District Judge Regina McCrea. Chief Criminal Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Laura McClinton recommended a 25-year prison sentence with parole eligibility after 10 years. District Judge Regina McCrea sentenced Lewis to a 20-year prison sentence with parole eligibility after 7 and a half years. The child victim (19 years old at the time of sentencing) was not supportive of the prison recommendation/sentence.

Prosecuting Attorney Stanley T. Mortensen thanks Chief Criminal Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Laura McClinton for prosecuting the case and the Coeur d’Alene Police Department for investigating the case.

# # # # #

09/28/2026

**** NEWS RELEASE ****

FELON IN POSSESSION OF FI***RM AND METHAMPHETAMINE RETURNS TO PRISON FOLLOWING PURSUIT WITH OFFICERS

Charles Alan Larmore, 44, was found guilty of Eluding a Peace Officer, Possession of Methamphetamine, and Unlawful Possession of a Fi***rm. The charges stem from an incident on June 22, 2026, when an officer from the Coeur d’Alene Police Department observed Larmore commit several traffic violations. The officer attempted to initiate a traffic stop, but Larmore refused to pull over. Instead, Larmore quickly accelerated to a high rate of speed while failing to stop at numerous stop signs before crashing into a tree. Larmore exited his vehicle and fled on foot before officers caught up with him and arrested him only a few blocks away from the crash. Officers found methamphetamine upon searching Larmore and found two handguns upon searching his vehicle. Having been convicted of several felonies, Larmore’s fi***rm rights had previously been suspended. Eluding and Unlawful Possession of a Fi***rm are both felonies, each punishable by up to 5 years in prison. Possession of Methamphetamine is a felony, punishable by up to 7 years in prison. Larmore was sentenced on September 22, 2026, by District Judge Ross Pittman.

Larmore’s criminal history includes prior convictions for criminal damage, s*xual conduct with a minor, a s*x offender registration violation, driving without privileges, grand theft, battery, possession of a controlled substance, assault or battery upon certain personnel, burglary, and several probation violations. In fact, Larmore had just been released from prison only three months before the date of this incident.

At sentencing, Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Monica Bushling recommended a unified 12-year prison sentence with parole eligibility after 7 years for the crimes. District Judge Ross Pittman sentenced Larmore to a unified 12-year prison sentence with parole eligibility after 4 years for the new crimes, allowing for a longer period of supervision if Larmore is released on parole.

Prosecuting Attorney Stanley T. Mortensen thanks Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Sam Stevens for prosecuting the case and the Coeur d’Alene Police Department and Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office for investigating the case.

# # # # #

09/25/2026

**** NEWS RELEASE ****

Along with the sheriff, a prosecuting attorney’s primary duty is to enforce the laws of the State of Idaho. As such, the sheriff and the prosecuting attorney are the chief law enforcement officials of each county within the State of Idaho, and their primary duty is the protection of society. In performing these duties, the sheriff (and his deputies) will respond to and investigate criminal activity, make arrests when necessary, and gather evidence to be used in criminal prosecutions. In the search for truth and justice, the prosecutor (and his deputies) will then review the investigations and evidence. This process often leads to the prosecution and conviction of those who participate in criminal activity.
After someone is convicted of a crime, they are sentenced by the court in accordance with the laws of the State of Idaho. The judiciary and legislature of the State of Idaho have articulated that the primary objective of sentencing is the protection of society, followed by deterrence of the individual and the public generally, the possibility of rehabilitation, and punishment or retribution for wrongdoing and the impact on the victim. Before a court gives a sentence, the prosecuting attorney will give a sentencing recommendation. However, these recommendations are generally not binding on the court and the final sentencing decision rests entirely within the discretion of the court.

On occasion, I will issue a press release regarding some of my office’s more serious cases and/or cases I believe may be of public interest. I do this for several reasons. First, relative to many areas in our Nation, Kootenai County is a safe place to live and raise a family. Despite this, Kootenai County still experiences its share of criminal activity. As an elected official and as your prosecuting attorney, I believe that you – the citizens of Kootenai County – are entitled to know what my office and I do to keep you safe. Second, I believe in a transparent government. While my press releases do not provide the reader with all of the details of a case, they do provide the reader with a brief overview of the case, including the defendant’s name, the crime the defendant was convicted of, and a brief synopsis of the facts of the crime and criminal history of the defendant. My press releases also provide the reader with the maximum possible sentence under the law for the crime of conviction, my office’s sentencing recommendation, and the sentence the court gave. Many of my office’s sentencing recommendations fall short of the maximum possible sentence under the law. If the citizens of Kootenai County do not believe my office’s sentencing recommendations are strong enough to keep our community safe, I want to hear from you. However, you generally will not know this information unless you attend the sentencing hearing or I issue a press release. Additionally, knowing only what my office recommended, without the context of knowing what the maximum possible sentence under the law was and what sentence the court gave, would be meaningless.

With rare exception, my press releases are always made after sentencing. I do this so that my press releases do not unfairly prejudice the defendant or sway the jury should the defendant choose to exercise his constitutional right to a fair jury trial. Also, I do not comment on or opine regarding the sentence the court gave. I merely state what happened.

For various reasons, many people who read my press releases become upset with what they read and/or the way a case was handled. I wish to state that my press releases are in no way designed or intended to incite anger or provoke threats toward anyone involved in a case (be it the defendant, an attorney on either side, and/or the court), nor do I condone such behavior. It continues to be my privilege to serve and protect you as your prosecuting attorney.

09/22/2026

**** NEWS RELEASE ****

COEUR D’ALENE MAN GRANTED PROBATION FOLLOWING S*X CRIME

Zachary John Destephano, 43, was convicted of Sexual Abuse by Soliciting a Minor Child Under the Age of Sixteen Years following a three-day jury trial in July 2025.

The charge stems from an incident on March 10, 2025, when Destephano offered to perform oral s*x on an 11-year-old child. Destephano and the child (who were strangers to each other) were riding the bus at the same time – Destephano was sitting in front of and across the aisle from the child. While the child was sucking on candy, he noticed Destephano looking back at him. The child then noticed Destephano placed his hand in his pocket before moving his hand to his ge***al area as if he was ma********ng. Alarmed, the child looked away and stared out the bus window. When the bus stopped, the child got off the bus – walking passed Destephano. However, Destephano followed the child off the bus. Once off the bus, the child sat down on a bench to wait for the next bus to arrive. At first, Destephano stood away from the bench while typing something on this phone. A short time later, however, Destephano sat down on the bench directly next to the child, nudged the child to get the child’s attention, and then showed the child what he had typed on his phone – a note telling the child he wanted to perform oral s*x on the child. When the child stood up and approached a nearby adult for help, Destephano quickly walked away from the area. Fortunately, the entire incident was caught on video and officers were able to send out a press release asking for public assistance in identifying Destephano. Within two days of the incident, an acquaintance of Destephano responded to the press release and identified Destephano as a person of interest. The acquaintance was also able to tell officers where Destephano worked and that Destephano had just shaved his beard off the day before – a beard the acquaintance had never known Destephano not to have. Using this information, officers were quickly able to locate Destephano at work and arrest him. Several of Destephano’s co-workers had also just seen the press release and were discussing when and how to contact officers. When interviewed by officers, Destephano stated he thought the child looked like a “high school kid.” Sexual Abuse by Soliciting a Minor Child Under the Age of Sixteen Years is a felony, punishable by up to 25 years in prison. Destephano was initially sentenced on November 25, 2025, by District Judge John Cafferty.

At sentencing on November 25, 2025, Chief Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Art Verharen recommended a 20-year prison sentence with parole eligibility after 10 years. District Judge John Cafferty sentenced Destephano to a 13-year prison sentence with parole eligibility after 3 years but retained jurisdiction over Destephano. A retained jurisdiction (more commonly known as a ‘rider’) allows a defendant to spend up to one year in a prison-based treatment program before returning to court where the judge will decide to either release the defendant onto probation or leave them in prison for the remainder of their sentence.

Destephano returned to Court for his review hearing on September 22, 2026. Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Molly Nivison recommended that Destephano remain in prison for the remainder of his sentence. District Judge John Cafferty suspended Destephano’s sentence and released him onto a 5-year period of probation with the requirement that he wear an ankle monitor, participate in treatment, complete community service, and appear in court at a future probation review hearing.

Prosecuting Attorney Stanley T. Mortensen thanks Chief Deputy Prosecuting Attorneys Art Verharen and Laura McClinton and Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Molly Nivison for prosecuting the case and the Coeur d’Alene Police Department for investigating the case. Special thanks also go out to the various members of the public who were willing to assist officers in locating Destephano and to the young child for his tremendous display of situational awareness and courage during and after the incident.

# # # # #

09/19/2026

**** NEWS RELEASE ****

RATHDRUM MAN SENT TO PRISON FOR ELUDING OFFICERS WHILE DUI AND ON PROBATION

Aaron Leroy Johnson, 43, was found guilty of Eluding a Peace Officer and DUI Excessive. The charges stem from an incident on December 26, 2025, shortly before midnight when troopers from the Idaho State Police were dispatched to a traffic accident along I-90 involving a white Dodge pickup truck (driven by Johnson). Responding troopers located Johnson driving away from the area of the accident with no headlights on and a portion of the truck’s front bumper hanging off. Troopers attempted to initiate a traffic stop, but Johnson refused to pull over. Johnson exited I-90 and led troopers in a pursuit through a residential area while running a stop sign and driving down the middle of the road before reentering I-90. Johnson continued to elude troopers while driving at speeds in excess of 100 mph and through construction zones before exiting I-90 again where he drove through multiple red lights in business and residential areas and in the opposite lane of traffic. Johnson reentered I-90 once more before he was stopped by officers who used multiple PIT (Precision Immobilization Technique) maneuvers and tire deflation devices (spike strips) to end the pursuit. After Johnson was removed from his truck, he provided breath samples revealing a breath alcohol concentration of 0.204/0.191. Eluding is a felony, punishable by up to 5 years in prison. Excessive DUI (over 0.20) is a misdemeanor, punishable by up to 1 year in jail.

Johnson’s criminal history includes prior convictions for eluding, petit theft, reckless driving, assault or battery upon certain personnel, DUI, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of controlled substances, fraud, inattentive or careless driving, driving without privileges, grand theft, unlawful entry, battery, possession of a stolen vehicle, resisting or obstructing officers, disturbing the peace, domestic battery, and multiple probation violations. In fact, Johnson was on felony probation for possession of controlled substances at the time of the new charges. Additionally, having previously been convicted of three prior felony offenses, Johnson was also convicted of being a Persistent Violator (sometimes called ‘habitual’ or ‘repeat offender’). This enhancement mandates that a prison sentence be no less than 5 years but allows a Court to extend a sentence by up to life.

On July 16, 2026, Johnson was sentenced by District Judge John Cafferty for the new crimes and held to answer for his probation violation. Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Corey Weber recommended a unified 16-year prison sentence with parole eligibility after 9 years for the new crimes and that Johnson’s prison sentence be imposed for the probation violation. District Judge John Cafferty sentenced Johnson to a unified 15-year prison sentence with parole eligibility after 5 years for the new crimes, consecutive to the prison sentence which was imposed for the probation violation.

Prosecuting Attorney Stanley T. Mortensen thanks Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Corey Weber for prosecuting the case and the Idaho State Police and Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office for investigating the case. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), “[a]bout 32% of all traffic crash fatalities in the United States involve drunk drivers. In 2022, there were 13,524 people killed in these preventable crashes. In fact, on average over the 10-year period from 2013-2022, about 11,000 people died every year in drunk-driving crashes.”

# # # # #

09/18/2026

**** NEWS RELEASE ****

ARIZONA MAN SENTENCED TO PRISON FOR ABUSE OF A VULNERABLE ADULT

David William Feldbaumer, 68, was convicted of Abuse of a Vulnerable Adult and Battery. The charges stem from a March 5, 2026, incident at a residential memory care facility when a duty nurse noticed that a 79-year-old resident who suffered from Alzheimer’s and dementia was missing from a scheduled activity. While searching for the missing resident, the nurse caught Feldbaumer – who was visiting a family member resident at the facility – having s*x with the missing resident in a bathroom. Once Feldbaumer realized he had been caught, he grabbed the nurse’s arm and begged her not to report the incident. Feldbaumer only let go of the nurse’s arm after another nurse arrived on scene. Abuse of a Vulnerable Adult is a felony, punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Battery is a misdemeanor, punishable by up to 6 months in jail. Feldbaumer was sentenced on September 4, 2026, by District Judge Casey Simmons.

At sentencing, Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Molly Nivison recommended a 10-year prison sentence with no possibility of parole for the felony charge and 6 months in jail for the misdemeanor charge.

District Judge Casey Simmons sentenced Feldbaumer to a 10-year prison sentence with parole eligibility after 8 years for the felony charge and 6 months in jail for the misdemeanor charge.

Prosecuting Attorney Stanley T. Mortensen thanks Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Molly Nivison for prosecuting the case and the Coeur d’Alene Police Department for investigating the case.

# # # # #

09/04/2026

**** NEWS RELEASE ****

RATHDRUM MAN SENTENCED TO PRISON FOR POSSESSION OF CHILD P**N

David Mario Marquez, 69, was convicted of five counts of Sexual Exploitation of Children by Possession of Sexually Exploitative Material (Child Sexual Abuse Material, a.k.a. CSAM or Child Po*******hy).

In May of 2025, officers began investigating a Cybertip indicating Marquez was accessing child po*******hy. After obtaining search warrants, officers searched Marquez’s computer along with numerous electronic storage devices and located evidence indicating Marquez had possessed thousands of images depicting child po*******hy and intentionally saved and stored many of the files. A significant portion of the CSAM files possessed by Marquez depicted very young pre-pubescent children – including toddlers. Possession of Child Po*******hy is a felony, punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Marquez was sentenced on July 17, 2026, by District Judge Regina McCrea.

At sentencing, Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Sam Stevens recommended a unified 15-year unified prison sentence with parole eligibility after 7 years.

District Judge Regina McCrea sentenced Marquez to a 15-year prison sentence with parole eligibility after 7 years.

Prosecuting Attorney Stanley T. Mortensen thanks Deputy Prosecuting Attorneys Molly Nivison and Shannon Jackson for prosecuting this case, the Post Falls Police Department and the Kootenai County Prosecutor’s Investigators for investigating this case, and a special thanks to the Rathdrum Police Department, Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office, Coeur d’Alene Police Department, and U.S. Secret Service for extra manpower and forensic assistance. This office will continue to vehemently prosecute the exploitation of children in an effort to help protect and reach justice for the children and their families.

# # # # #

08/15/2026

**** NEWS RELEASE ****

COEUR D’ALENE MAN RETURNS TO PRISON FOR INJURY TO CHILD AND S*XUAL BATTERY

Anthony William Peter Herrera, 41, was convicted of two counts of Injury to Child and two counts of Sexual Battery. The charges stem from an investigation into an allegation that Herrera had put his hands down the pants of a minor child. Over the course of the investigation, it was determined that Herrera had s*xually battered seven different children between the ages of 6 and 12 years old. Injury to Child is a felony, punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Sexual Battery is a misdemeanor, punishable by up to 1 year in jail. Herrera was sentenced on August 5, 2026, by District Judge Barry McHugh.

Herrera was previously convicted of injury to child in 2009, following an investigation into an allegation that Herrera (22 years old at the time) had s*x with a 15-year-old minor child. In that case, Herrera was placed probation after completing treatment while on a rider. A rider (more formally known as a ‘retained jurisdiction’) allows a defendant to spend up to one year in a prison-based treatment program before becoming eligible for probation. However, less than a year later, Herrera violated his probation and was sent to prison. Herrera’s criminal history also includes convictions for stalking, DUI, fishing without a license, possession of drug paraphernalia, and driving without privileges.

At sentencing on August 5, 2026, Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Nick Lepire recommended a unified 20-year prison sentence with parole eligibility after 10 years along with a no contact order prohibiting Herrera from contacting the victims in the case.

District Judge Barry McHugh sentenced Herrera to a unified 20-year prison sentence with parole eligibility after 12 years and issued a no contact order prohibiting Herrera from contacting the victims in the case.

Prosecuting Attorney Stanley T. Mortensen thanks Criminal Chief Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Laura McClinton and Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Nick Lepire for prosecuting the case and the Coeur d’Alene Police Department for investigating the case. The Kootenai County Prosecutor’s Office aggressively prosecutes child abuse and attempts to use its voice to speak for the most helpless and vulnerable of victims.

# # # # #

Address

501 N Government Way
Coeur D'alene, ID
83814

Telephone

+12084461800

Website

https://www.kcgov.us/454/Prosecuting-Attorney

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Kootenai County Prosecuting Attorney's Office posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.