Chehalis man Von S. Bradford, 25, faces accusations that he committed theft by failing to deposit nearly $1,900 in cash payments for the towing company he was working for.
Bradford was charged in July with one count of second-degree theft punishable by up to five years in prison and $10,000 in fines. He made a preliminary appearance in court Thursday after posting a $10,000 out-of-custody bond the day prior.
Bradford failed to appear at his original preliminary hearing on Aug. 12.
According to court documents, the reported thefts occurred between December 2024 and March 2025. The manager of A Better Towing Company first told Chehalis police in May 2025 that Bradford, a former employee, had failed to deposit at least seven cash drops over several months’ time.
The manager indicated that “once an employee completes a tow and a customer pays in cash, the employee will fill out a slip, place the money inside, and drop it off in the designated box,” stated court documents.
Bradford, he alleged, did not make those drops.
The seven missing cash payments totaled $1,889.46. The manager said that Bradford had also used company money to order uniforms, which totaled $479.47.
“That (was) money that was supposed to come out of his paycheck at a later date, but he quit and did not work long enough to have that money be reimbursed through his paycheck,” stated court documents.
The manager added that he tried unsuccessfully to reach out to Bradford a number of times to resolve the matter. When confronted by the owner of the company, Bradford allegedly said “he could pay the money back once he received his taxes,” according to court documents.
When contacted by police, Bradford allegedly denied stealing the cash, but said he’d help pay it back despite not being at fault.
The Lewis County Prosecutor’s Office determined there was enough evidence to charge the defendant. Bradford now awaits an arraignment on Sept. 25. Joseph Paul Enbody has been assigned to represent him.
