The former sales manager of Camper’s Choice RV in Napavine is facing a felony first-degree theft charge for allegedly taking a $32,000 cash deposit from a customer in October and disappearing with the money.
The business’s service manager contacted the Napavine Police Department on Friday, Oct. 27, to report both the money and the sales manager, identified as Joseph Preston Burch Jr., 43, of Castle Rock, were missing, according to court documents.
Burch had last been seen at about 5:30 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 23, when the service manager and another employee reportedly saw Burch assisting a customer. The service manager reportedly asked Burch if he needed help with the customer and, when he said he did not, the service manager and the other employee went home for the day.
The service manager said “he was not aware any kind of purchase transaction was going to occur when he left,” according to court documents.
Burch reportedly made arrangements for another employee to cover his shift on Tuesday, Oct. 24, and Burch had a scheduled day off on Wednesday, Oct. 25, according to court documents. Burch also failed to come to work on Thursday, Oct. 26, according to court documents.
The service manager reportedly tried to contact Burch, unsuccessfully, multiple times on Oct. 24 and Oct. 26.
The evening of Oct. 26, the customer who Burch had been assisting on Oct. 23 reportedly called Campers Choice RV “asking about the purchase of the fifth wheel and her $32,000 deposit,” according to court documents. The service manager ultimately located the purchase contract, which indicated the customer had put down a $32,000 deposit, but the money itself wasn’t present.
Napavine Police Chief John Brockmueller reportedly located Burch at his mother’s house in Castle Rock on Monday, Oct. 30, according to court documents. When questioned, Burch “stated he did the paperwork for the sale of the trailer correctly, but denied taking the cash.” The service manager later confirmed “the paperwork was absolutely not done correctly, and that the procedure for taking cash was not followed,” according to court documents.
Documents available via Lewis County Superior Court on Tuesday did not indicate whether the stolen money was recovered.
Burch was arrested and booked into the Lewis County Jail just after 5:20 p.m. on Oct. 30, according to jail records.
He was charged Tuesday, Oct. 31 with one count of first-degree theft with an abuse of trust qualifier. The charge is a class B felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
Burch was released from the Lewis County Jail on $20,000 unsecured bail on Tuesday. Arraignment is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 9.
