OLYMPIA — Today, Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson’s legislation strengthening the state’s data breach notification law passed the House of Representatives, 97 to 0, with strong bipartisan support.

“Nearly every day, we hear of another troubling compromise of sensitive personal information,” Ferguson said. “Repairing the damage caused by identity theft costs consumers billions of dollars every year. Protecting consumers is one of my top priorities, and the sooner they know their data has been compromised, the more they can do to minimize that damage.”

This release is compliments of the Washington State Dept. of Labor & Industries

SPOKANE — A Spokane Valley man has been charged with faking on-the-job injuries and using the last names of Seahawks players to obtain narcotics and other prescription drugs.

Jeffory Leonard Mock Jr., 34, faces 12 felony charges alleging he obtained controlled substances and prescription drugs by fraud. He’s scheduled to be arraigned in Spokane County Superior Court on Wednesday, March 4.

OLYMPIA — The Washington State Archives has announced a series of open government training workshops throughout Washington in March in support of a state law that was introduced by the Washington State Attorney General’s Office and passed in 2014.

The Open Government Trainings Act requires training for public officials, public disclosure officers and state-appointed records officers.

Agencies Arm Consumers Against ID Theft and Fraud

SEATTLE — Better Business Bureau is partnering with the Washington State Attorney General’s Office for National Consumer Protection Week, March 1-7. Both agencies are committed to providing tools and tips to protect consumers from scams and to help them make better purchasing decisions.

YAKIMA — The Attorney General’s Office announced today that trial has begun in Yakima County Superior Court in the case of State of Washington vs. David Ramirez, a sexually violent predator civil commitment proceeding.

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PORT ORCHARD — A Kitsap County jury has decided that repeat sex offender George Edward Hancock, Jr. is a dangerous predator and must be confined in the State’s Special Commitment Center on McNeil Island.  In the interest of public safety, prosecutors from Attorney General Bob Ferguson’s Sexually Violent Predator Unit (SVP) have been fighting since July 2014 to prevent Hancock’s release into the community.

This release is compliments of the Washington State Department of Revenue

Contacts:

David Postman, Office of Governor Jay Inslee  |  360.902.4136

Peter Lavallee, Office of Attorney General Bob Ferguson  | 360.586.0725

OLYMPIA — Attorney General Bob Ferguson today endorsed the decision by the Federal Communications Commission to preserve net neutrality and protect the open Internet. 

Violent felon remains in custody pending further proceedings

MOUNT VERNON — The Washington Attorney General’s Office has filed a petition in Skagit County Superior Court seeking to civilly commit a sex offender and prevent his release into the community.

John Bettys, 40, has been convicted of three sexually violent offenses: one count of indecent liberties against a child under age 14 in 1989, and two counts of first-degree rape of a child in 1993. He was also convicted of child molestation third degree in 2013.