FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Friday, March 21, 2008

FOR INFORMATION

CONTACT: Thomas Rice, First Assistant U.S. Attorney(509) 353-276

Richland, – Today, James A. McDevitt, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced that Tyler M. Morris, age 37, of Walla Walla, Washington and Jeffrey L. Finney, age 51, of Kennewick, Washington, were sentenced to prison. Tyler M. Morris was sentenced to 30 months in prison followed by 3 years of court supervision after release. Jeffrey L. Finney was sentenced to 18 months in prison followed by 3 years of court supervision after release. Both were also ordered to pay $81,290 in restitution.

Both men pleaded guilty to bribery charges in September 2007. According to the plea agreements, Tyler M. Morris, a former assistant prosecutor for the City of Kennewick solicited cash donations from defense attorney Jeffrey L. Finney for the reduction or dismissal of criminal and civil charges against Finney’s clients during the period January 2005 to March 2006. The cash donations were represented to be donations to the “Home Base” youth program operated by the City of Kennewick Department of Parks and Recreation. The donations were not given to Home Base, rather, they were divided between the two attorneys and used for their own purposes.

James A. McDevitt, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, said, “Public corruption destroys our collective confidence in those officials whom we entrust to perform important functions in our justice system. It cannot and will not be tolerated at any level. It is for that reason that public corruption has been, and will continue to be, a priority of this office.”

This investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The cases were prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Greg Shogren.

CR-06-6063-LRS