Theft suspect charged with intimidation

SANDPOINT — Criminal troubles are compounding for a Sandpoint man accused of perpetrating a costly break-in at a woodworking shop.

Thomas Wayne Spinney was arrested for allegedly attempting to intimidate a witness subpoenaed to testify at a preliminary hearing on burglary and grand theft charges.

Spinney made an initial appearance in Bonner County Magistrate Court on Monday, where Judge Debra Heise set his bail at $25,000 and ordered him to have no contact with the witness.

Spinney, 53, is accused of calling the witness, a 62-year-old Kootenai man, on June 4 and leaving a voice message that urged him to keep his mouth shut on the witness stand and invoke his Fifth Amendment right.

“You didn’t see nothin’,” Spinney allegedly told the man.

Although the there were no overt threats of harm in the message, the witness said he interpreted Spinney’s remarks as a threat, according to a Sandpoint Police report.

Spinney denied trying to influence the man’s testimony and said he was merely placing a call to a friend.

The hearing to determine if there is enough evidence to justify trying Spinney on the burglary and grand theft charges is set for June 12.

Spinney was implicated in a March 27 raid of a woodworking shop in his neighborhood. Several types of power saws were taken, in addition to other power and pneumatic tools.

The value of the stolen equipment was estimated at $20,000, according to a Sandpoint Police report.

Acting on a hunch, an Idaho Department of Correction officer conducted a home check of the Spinney residence because the man’s son was on probation.

A number of stolen items were discovered in the home, in addition to a storage facility in Kootenai, according to court documents.

Spinney initially told police he was unaware of who was behind the heist, but later stated that he turned a blind eye as two heroin users committed the thefts, according to the arrest report.