A KREM 2 NEWS SPECIAL INVESTIGATION: Grant County officials say the D-S-H-S is hampering a criminal investigation

03:49 PM PDT on Friday, May 7, 2004

By RANDY SHAW / KREM 2 News

KREM

EPHRATA, WA. - Thursday night, KREM 2 News told you Grant County Authorities claimed the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services is hampering criminal investigations into state licensed day cares. Specifically those day cares located in Mattawa, Washington. Here is a look at those day cares, illegal aliens and investigations into illegal drug trafficking.

Along the Columbia River, there's a little town called Mattawa. It is a town where most it's citizens are here illegally.  KREM 2 News found state-licensed day cares on nearly every corner, 51 of them. However, there may be one thing more prevalent than day cares. "Well, because of I-90, we have a lot of drug trafficking in and out of the county," Grant County Sheriff Frank De Trolio said.

Recent raids indicate there's a lot of money changing hands as well. "It was my understanding there was $150,000 found in a cardboard box under the bed in cash!" said Mattawa Police Chief Randy Blackburn.

Raising local law enforcement questions of whether some day care operations might be fronts. "They may be laundering drug money through these," Blackburn explained. "There's no proof to that yet, but I think if it's investigated thoroughly, there will be."

In another case, police picked up two young men carrying $750,000 in cash. The sister of one of those suspects runs a local day care.

During a recent interview with KREM 2 News, Chief Blackburn was asked, "Do you believe that some of these operations could very well be connected to the drug trade that's going on?" Chief Blackburn replied, "Absolutely!"

D-S-H-S internal e-mails obtained by KREM 2 News show D-S-H-S management has long been notified about cases of illegal aliens, drugs and day care fraud.

One e-mail reads in part: "A woman who gave licensors fake I-D because she's an illegal alien was endangering children by packaging and selling cocaine in their presence."

From the sheriff to the prosecutor, every top law enforcement official in Grant County alleges D-S-H-S is hampering the criminal investigation into these day cares. D-S-H-S' secretary Dennis Braddock denies this allegation. "And that's a serious charge," Braddock said. " I think if they are making that charge they need to substantiate it."

Grant County authorities said fraud investigators from the D-S-H-S were told by their boss in Olympia not to share information with Grant County detectives. During a recent interview, KREM 2 News asked Braddock why D-S-H-S investigators were not sharing their information. To that question, Braddock replied, "You have to ask Mr. Bumford."

John Bumford is the head of the D-S-H-S Department of Fraud Investigations. KREM 2 News requested an interview with Bumford and that request was denied.

D-S-H-S claims its not hampering investigations. But when the state auditor's office tried to interview the D-S-H-S employee who licensed all the Mattawa day cares, she refused to be interviewed. When KREM 2 News requested to interview her, our request was denied.

And when KREM 2 News tried to interview the head of the entire D-S-H-S childcare program, our request was again denied.

Secretary Braddock admits his agency is under fire. And since federal money is used to pay these day cares, there's a danger the D-S-H-S will have to pay back millions of dollars to the federal government. "I don't think there's a danger," Braddock said. "I think probably there's a certainty we'll have to pay some of it back."

With Washington's agricultural economy so dependent upon migrant workers, Braddock candidly admits taxpayers may have to brace for more problems. "I think we will constantly have these kinds of difficulties," he explained. "Not just in Mattawa, but in places where there are so many undocumented aliens. There are tens of thousands of undocumented and I think we underestimate the numbers, I know, incredibly."

This outgoing cabinet member of the Locke administration even admits to a government mind set. A mind set to try and give money and services to illegals, which are vital to Washington's economy. "I think that varies amongst offices or individuals," Braddock said. "But I do believe that exists throughout the state."