Prisoner fails to report, caught in Seattle

A 32-year-old registered sex offender, who was awaiting sentencing on charges of forgery and grand theft, failed to turn himself in at the end of a 24-hour court-approved furlough.

But at 8:45 p.m. Friday, he was caught in Seattle and will be extradited back to Kootenai County.

Ferrell D. Arnold II was supposed to be back at the Kootenai County Public Safety Building at 7 p.m. Thursday. A Kootenai County Sheriff's Department official said Arnold was not considered armed and dangerous.

Kootenai County District Court Judge Benjamin Simpson ordered that Arnold be allowed a furlough from custody "to take care of personal matters," according to court documents.

Arnold was to be sentenced Oct. 15 on the forgery and grand theft charges after pleading guilty to the two counts in district court.

The statutory maximum penalty is one to 14 years, court papers said.

Public defender Anne Taylor, according to a hearing transcript from Wednesday, told the court that Arnold has a 9-year-old child and wanted the furlough to spend a day explaining why he wouldn't be around for a year.

Court documents also said Arnold was granted a furlough in 2003, and turned himself back in.

In 2003, Arnold was convicted of forgery and burglary, both in Kootenai County. Also that year, he was convicted of forgery in Bonner County. In 2001, he was convicted of a felony charge of insufficient check funds in Payette County.

The Kootenai County Sheriff's Department describes Arnold as caucasian, nearly 6 feet tall, and weighing more than 210 pounds. He has hazel eyes and is bald.