The school security manager wanted in Washington state for felony theft and fraud charges returned there Friday at his own will and at his own expense. Todd Erik Lundquist, 41, a Waimea resident, was arrested last month on an outstanding
The school security manager wanted in Washington state for felony theft and fraud charges returned there Friday at his own will and at his own expense.
Todd Erik Lundquist, 41, a Waimea resident, was arrested last month on an outstanding bench warrant after failing to appear for arraignment April 10 in King County Superior Court.
An appearance for the returned bench warrant and arraignment was set for June 16.
Lundquist was arrested May 3 after Kauai and Honolulu police were alerted to the outstanding bench warrant. He was on Oahu at the time for a training seminar.
If he does not appear, then King County and the State of Hawaii will issue bench warrants for his arrest. The Fifth Circuit Court set July 8 as an appearance for extradition if Lundquist is found to still be on Kauai.
The state Department of Education’s School Security Manager program hires retired law enforcement personnel, and the DOE is required to perform a background check on all security personnel considered for the positions available, Safety and Security head Rodney Goo said. Lundquist passed the check and was hired last December. The Department of Education’s Safety and Security Division declined to comment.
Lundquist was a Washington State Patrol trooper from July 1987- June 1993; he retired after suffering an on-the-job injury but remains on the department’s payroll.
In 1992, he was named Trooper of the Year in auto theft apprehensions. Also in 1992, he ran for a seat in the Washington state House, 35th District. A press release he sent out during his campaign stated he set a state record by making 170 drug arrests.
In 2002, Lundquist allegedly defrauded the drug store chain Rite Aid of more than $26,500 while working as the Western Division’s loss prevention manager in Redmond.
Lundquist returned to Washington on his own, not in custody, according to County of Kauai first deputy prosecutor Craig De Costa.
He was to depart via Hawaiian Airlines from Lihue Airport at 11:30 a.m. Friday, but it wasn’t clear whether detectives from the Kauai Police Department had him in physical custody. The King County Sheriff’s Department would not verify whether Lundquist would be met by law enforcement officials in Seattle.
On May 5, Lundquist’s mother posted bond against $50,000 bail set by Hawaii’s Fifth Circuit Court, according to the King County Prosecutor’s Office. The amount can be transferred back to Washington or held in case of his non-appearance.
Detectives of the Redmond Police Department allege that Lundquist took money from employees who had been caught stealing and completed fraudulent paperwork with Rite Aid Corporation to ensure stolen money was sent to addresses in Burien and Thurston, Wash.
The Redmond Police Department document also alleges that he intimidated and threatened an ex-girlfriend and wife to change their names so he could collect monies from their bank accounts.
Witnesses claimed that Lundquist is “addicted to gambling” and believed he used the money for gambling purposes, according to the Redmond Police Department.
A case summary from the Redmond Prosecuting Attorney’s Office states that Lundquist’s ex-girlfriend believed that injuries he reported were inflicted by his brother-in-law “based on her observationsthat the injuries were self-inflicted using a large can of Progresso soup.”
Lundquist’s second ex-wife claimed that he lost about $250,000 by gambling during their marriage and mentioned a steady increase of verbal and physical abuse over the years, according to the prosecutor’s office document.
The state Department of Education sent out bids for 70 school safety managers for selected secondary and high schools. The bidding period ends June 30. Chiefess Kamakahelei, should have safety managers for the coming school year.
Staff Writer Kendyce Manguchei can be reached at mailto:kmanguchei@pulitzer.net or 245-3681 (ext. 252).
