EVERETT — A suspected repeat boat thief was arrested three times within 12 days in October, according to Everett Police who say the subject was previously convicted and served jail time in 2025 for felony thefts. After each arrest in Snohomish County, the suspect was released pending charges.
On Wednesday October 14th, Everett Police responded to a trespassing report at the Port of Everett Marina. Port Security observed a suspicious person onboard a vessel at the docks. According to EPD, he was recognized as a male who had been previously trespassed from the property when he was arrested in connection to a string of felonious thefts in 2025. He was ultimately sentenced and incarcerated for those thefts and had since been released.
When contacted on the 14th, Everett Police determined he was in possession of an unreported stolen boat. Washington Dept. of Fish and Wildlife officers were contacted to respond to the Everett Marina as well, as the vessel had several crab pots on board which included names not associated with the suspect. WDFW Police responded and determined that the crab pots were also stolen.
The suspect was booked into the Snohomish County Jail for Possession of Stolen Property 1 and Criminal Trespass 2. The crab pots and vessel were returned to their owners. The male suspect was released from jail the following day. Possession of Stolen Property in the First Degree (RCW 9A.56.150) is a Class B felony, applicable when the stolen property exceeds $5,000 in value, punishable by up to 10 years in prison and up to a $20,000 fine.
On Monday, October 19th, less than a weeks later, two WDFW officers on a boat patrol in Island County saw a man pulling a crab pot out of the water and tossing crab overboard. They discovered that it was the same suspect in possession of stolen crab pots and a vessel that had been reported stolen five days prior. Again, he was arrested by WDFW officers and booked into the Snohomish County Jail for, according to EPD, a myriad of fishing violations in addition to possession of a stolen vessel. The vessel was returned to the owner, but the male was again released the following day.
On Monday, October 26th, WDFW Police received information that the same male suspect was staying on a stolen vessel at the Des Moines Marina guest dock, south of Seattle. The suspected vessel departed the marina, according to EPD, before officers could make contact.
WDFW officers, who have been closely coordinating with EPD in October, contacted Everett Police to search for the known suspect. The following day, the suspect was observed at the Everett Marina where he was arrested by EPD. The suspect was booked into the Snohomish County Jail for Criminal Trespass 2. WDFW officers also added a booking charge for Theft 1. First-degree theft in Washington state (RCW 9A.56.030) is a Class B felony
He was released from custody on November 4, 2026. Washington has a “three strikes, you’re out” law for persons convicted of felonies, but not all felonies count toward this sentencing. For instance, non-violent Class B felonies, like the instances articulated above, don’t apply toward the ‘three strikes’ law.
As a result of this repeat offender boat theft suspect, WDFW and EPD are encouraging boat owners to secure their belongings and check their boats as we move into winter. Whenever possible, routinely visit and check on your stored boat. Remove valuables, including electronics and fishing gear. If choosing not to take items home, please ensure valuable items are not easily visible or accessed. Utilize locks, like fish finder locks, to secure valuable electronics.
For any valuables stored on your boat, please ensure you have photographs of the items and document the make, model, and serial numbers. If your items do not have serial numbers, please document and save any unique identifiers. A unique identifier could be specific damage or an owner applied marking. If choosing to apply your own marking, please ensure the marking is etched into your item and not simply marked with a permanent marker as this can be easily removed. By recording unique identifiers, your stolen items can be easily recognized as yours by law enforcement if later recovered.
If you have a kicker/trolling motor on your boat, you may consider removing it for long term storage off of the vessel as these are frequently stolen.
EPD adds, please report any suspicious activity in the marina to port security or law enforcement.