The Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Office is suggesting Washington State Patrol Trooper and former Woodland Mayor Will Finn be charged with theft regarding a business.
Cowlitz County Prosecuting Attorney Ryan Jurvakainen confirmed Monday that the Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Office suggested theft charges, but the prosecution’s office has not officially filed them. He has not been arrested.
Finn did not return a call requesting comment by Wednesday morning.
Chief Criminal Deputy Troy Brightbill said his agency launched an investigation into Finn and wife Heather Finn after receiving a complaint from a business partner over alleged unauthorized expenses for personal use.
Upon conclusion of that investigation, Brightbill said the sheriff’s office suggested that first-degree and second-degree theft charges are appropriate.
The business, Brightbill said, handled rental properties, including rentals on the online platform Airbnb, but he did not explain further details of the alleged crime.
Lt. Ryan Tanner, a spokesperson for the Washington State Patrol, said Will Finn is currently on administrative leave from his role as the spokesperson for Washington State Patrol District 5, which includes Clark, Skamania, Klickitat, Cowlitz and Lewis counties.
The Washington State Patrol also has removed his photo from its website.
City audit report
Will Finn was the mayor of Woodland from 2016 to 2023. He lost to current Mayor Todd Dinehart in 2022 when Finn received roughly 30% of the votes.
This latest allegation is not the first time Will Finn has come under scrutiny for unauthorized personal expenses.
A 2024 report from the Office of the Washington State Auditor outlined ways the former mayor misused his city-issued credit card, though he was not charged with a crime for the transactions.
The report does not name Will Finn directly, but the audit timeframe overlaps with his tenure as mayor.
The report states that the former mayor made $3,965 worth of personal purchases between March 2022 and November 2023, but the city had only recovered $3,385. The office recommended the city seek to recover the missing $580, but it was not immediately clear if that has occurred.
The report finds that despite the unpermitted charges, city officials did not follow policy to revoke his credit card, and the City Council relied on the former mayor to follow these policies without proper oversight.
Finn told The Daily News in January that he was never officially asked to pay back the $580, but saw the request on social media.
“I find it completely unprofessional and concerning, unfortunately, I have not been contacted on this matter to explain charges or resolve the issue. Social media was my notification,” he also wrote in a letter addressed to the Woodland City Council, which he shared with The Daily News in January.
He writes in the letter that during his time, “the card was never requested to be surrendered, canceled, monthly stipend garnished or demand for payment above and beyond what was accounted for on the receipts,” and that his spending only become an issue only after a “contentious campaign” for the mayoral seat.
