A 33-year-old bookkeeper, Nathan D. Price, was sentenced to three months in jail after embezzling approximately $1.5 million from Sunheaven Farms, a Prosser-area farming business. Initially, prosecutors intended to seek a longer prison sentence for Price, but new information emerged that led to a change in their sentencing recommendation.
Price, who had worked at Sunheaven Farms since 2017, had access to the company’s accounts, including its accounts payable for a supply company, Horse Heaven Supply. According to court documents, Price exploited this access over the course of several years. He forged checks to himself, hiding them as payments to the company’s suppliers. Most of the checks were around $4,600, issued twice a week, allowing him to pocket significant sums without raising immediate suspicion.
By the time of his arrest in 2023, Price had written and cashed 529 checks, totaling nearly $1.5 million. Investigators discovered his actions when another bookkeeper noticed a payment that didn’t match any invoices. This led to the revelation of multiple fraudulent checks that Price had cashed at local banks and check-cashing locations.
The stolen funds were used to feed Price’s addiction to drugs, which he admitted during questioning. He told investigators that he had spent all the money he stole to fund his habit. Despite his guilty plea to first-degree theft, forgery, and committing a major economic offense, Price’s defense argued that his drug addiction played a major role in his actions. Price had been out of jail since entering his guilty plea in January.
At the sentencing, Sunheaven Farms’ owners and employees expressed frustration over Price’s actions, as his theft had put a significant strain on the company and its staff. General Manager Howard O. Jensen explained that Sunheaven Farms had funded Price’s education to complete his accounting degree, which made his betrayal even more painful for his coworkers. “He became a very trusted employee,” Jensen said, but ultimately, his calculated actions over the years hurt the company, leading to the loss of substantial funds.
Though the employees hoped for a harsher sentence, Superior Court Judge Jackie Stam followed the prosecutor’s recommendation of three months in jail. In addition to the short jail time, Price was ordered to repay the $1.5 million he stole. His sentencing came after months of financial stress for the company and anxiety for its employees. Daniel Bosted, Price’s direct supervisor, stated, “One does not steal that amount of money over that period of time… Nathan’s only concern is that he got something out of it.”
Price’s theft primarily affected Horse Heaven Supply, which had struggled to reconcile inventory losses and mounting expenses. His deception had made it difficult for the company to function smoothly, putting the livelihoods of its employees at risk. In the wake of the discovery, Sunheaven Farms employees expressed anger and concern about the future. The discovery of Price’s crime led to long, tense days at the office, where employees were forced to deal with the aftermath of his actions.
Despite the damage caused by his theft, Price will be serving a relatively short jail sentence. Prosecutor Eric Eisinger explained that new information had emerged that influenced the sentencing recommendation, but he did not elaborate on what had changed since Price’s guilty plea. Although Price could have faced up to 10 years in prison for his crimes, the prosecutor’s office opted for a more lenient sentence.
As a result of the theft, Price will face significant financial and personal consequences as he serves his time and works to repay the stolen funds. The case has highlighted the impact of embezzlement on small businesses, as well as the importance of vigilance in preventing financial crimes.
