A federal judge in Seattle on Friday sentenced a Tacoma man to two years, three months in federal prison for embezzling more than $300,000 from a Kent company that ultimately went out of business.

Christopher W. Phillips, 63, previously was convicted of mail fraud.

From 2002 to 2005, Phillips worked as the chief financial officer of Vitech, a firm that manufactured breath mints and breath strips.

Federal prosecutors contended that Phillips used his company credit card for personal use – paying for lavish trips, fancy dinners and luxury merchandise – and paid his personal bills with company

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A Pierce County sheriff’s deputy was justified when he shot and killed a Parkland man armed with a handgun earlier this year, Prosecuting Attorney Gerald Horne announced Friday.

Deputy Seth Huber “acted in strict conformance with state law” when he fired two shots at Kenneth Alan Woodham at a house in the 800 block of 111th Street South in April, Horne said in a news release.

Woodham had turned toward Huber and another deputy and pointed a .45-caliber pistol at them. He previously had ignored commands to drop the gun, which later was found to be cocked

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One man was injured Thursday night when an argument fueled an exchange of gunfire between several people in an apartment complex parking lot in the Midland area.

Deputies found the 20-year-old victim in a car that was stopped after it had fled the scene, sheriff’s spokesman Ed Troyer said. Investigators were surveying hospitals to see if there were any other victims from the shootout.

“We may have more people who were shot that we don’t know yet,” Troyer said.

Several people were involved in an argument about 9:30 p.m. in the parking lot of the Woodmark

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Pierce County sheriff’s deputies arrested three men early today after they broke into a Roy-area home, tied up the two residents and stole several items.

Based on statements the robbers’ made during the incident, investigators suspect the men targeted the wrong house. Detectives were looking at whether the men might be tied to other recent home burglaries and robberies, sheriff’s spokesman Ed Troyer said.

The men, ages 20, 25, and 29, were booked into Pierce County Jail on suspicion of first-degree robbery.

The men broke into the home in the 6000 block of 322nd Street South

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Here are updates on the two fires in the City of Tacoma on Thursday night.

Crews are still investigating what sparked an apartment fire at 3931 Mason Loop Road. However, they have determined the blaze caused about $230,000 damage, the fire department reports.

Crews have confirmed that an overheated BBQ grill sparked a devastating blaze at a home at 1904 N. Proctor St, the fire department reports. The blaze caused about $485,000 to the house and detached garage.

In regards to Monday’s fire at the Hillside Quickie market, crews are continuing to dig to

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Pierce County prosecutors have filed charges against a 27-year-old man after a wild police chase involving a stolen car Tuesday.

Charging documents provide the following information:

A Pierce County sheriff’s deputy spotted the stolen vehicle Tuesday and tried to stop it at South 84th and South Hosmer streets. (Court documents don’t indicate a time for this chase but we’ve heard it was at night.) The car previously had been reported stolen at gunpoint to the Yakima County Sheriff’s Office.

The vehicle didn’t stop for the deputy and its driver made several evasive actions. The vehicle’s driver steered

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A teenage boy was seriously injured early today when he and two friends were handling a loaded handgun and it went off inside a South End home, Tacoma police reported.

The boy, described as either 14 or 15, was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle for treatment after being shot in the face.

“He’s going to survive but it’s going to be life altering,” Tacoma police spokesman Mark Fulghum said.

The shooting occurred about 12:15 a.m. in the 5600 block of South Park Avenue. Two teenage boys had gone to the home of another teenage friend

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A man wanted in connection with the kidnap and assault of a 79-year-old man last month in Lakewood has been found.

Prosecutors had charged Bryan Lee Stetson, 37, last month with first-degree kidnapping and first-degree assault. An arrest warrant was issued June 17.

California police officers arrested Stetson earlier this month. Lakewood police had asked them for their help in locating Stetson, who is from California, police Lt. Heidi Hoffman said Friday. A Lakewood police detective went to Bakersfield, Calif., and interviewed Stetson on July 17.

Stetson was escorted back to Pierce County last night by deputies

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