Issaquah Man Receives Six Months In Jail After Stealing Pint Of Ice Cream

An Issaquah man will spend the next six months behind bars for assuming someone else's identity to avoid being arrested for stealing a pint of ice cream and a wooden storage box from a convenience store four years ago.

The Ellensburg Daily Record reports the 180-day sentence was handed down to 40-year-old Kurt Ray Brooks in Kittitas County Superior Court last Thursday, May 21.

Brooks' term stemmed from his guilty pleas to charges of criminal impersonation, third-degree theft, and driving with a suspended license.

Prosecutors say Brooks stole the 16-ounce container of Ben & Jerry's and the box, which had a combined retail value of approximately $32, from the Pilot Travel Center at 1307 North Dolarway Road in Ellensburg in November, 2022.

Police later found Brooks at a casino in the 1600 block of Currier Street in Ellensburg, where he provided the identification of a person other than himself when questioned about the theft.

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The stolen items were also found inside the van that Brooks had been driving, which belonged to the brother of a friend who later told investigators he'd left his wallet and ID inside the vehicle prior to Brooks' using it.

Felony charges were filed against Brooks for criminal impersonation after arrest warrants were issued for the van's owner and it was discovered that Brooks had used his ID to avoid police detection for the thefts.

Court documents indicate Brooks also admitted to assuming the man's identity to preclude being arrested.

Brooks, who has previous convictions for manufacturing and delivering a controlled substance and malicious mischief, had been facing over two years in prison for his latest offenses but accepted a plea agreement with prosecutors to avoid trial and receive the lesser sentence.