February 5, 2004
Boundary County Prosecutor Jack Douglas today entered into a plea agreement with Gloria White, 63, Bonners Ferry, and her attorney, Bryce Powell, Sandpoint, that will allow her to avoid a felony for allegedly harboring her son, Jade Burn, who was wanted on Lincoln County, Oregon warrants issued May 14, 1993, ordering him to stand trial on two counts of first-degree rape and two counts of first-degree burglary.
Burn was apprehended September 14, 2003, after a confidential informant tipped off law enforcement that Burn would be traveling with his mother down County Road 24, Cow Creek Road, that day. According to investigator Mike Naumann, White initially gave officers a false name for her son, who later that day waived extradition to face the Oregon charges. White was charged with harboring a fugitive, a felony, and trial was set to begin
She had earlier gained notoriety when she was charged with harboring escaped convicted spy Christopher Boyce in 1977, an incident chronicled in the book and movie, “The Falcon and the Snowman.”
In the plea bargain, Douglas and Magistrate Judge Justin Julian agreed to accept a guilty plea to the reduced charge of resisting and obstructing an officer, a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail and a $1,000 fine, or both. In accepting the plea, Julian handed down a sentence of 365 days in jail with 335 days suspended and the maximum $1,000 fine. She was given credit for 15 days served after her arrest, and will complete the remainder of her term in three day-increments. In addition, she agreed to assist in law enforcement investigations that are currently underway, to perform 120 hours of community service, and to serve two years’ unsupervised probation.
Douglas credited the Boundary County Sheriffs Office and the Idaho State Police with conducting a solid investigation that culminated in the safe capture of Burn.
“I believe they worked hard on the case and were able to build a good case, even though harboring cases are difficult to prove at trial,” Douglas said. He also said the prosecutor, sheriff and court clerk in Lincoln County, Oregon, provided valuable assistance in providing records and securing necessary witnesses.
According to Douglas, the plea negotiations stretched out over a period of weeks, and reflected an attempt by the State to strike a balanced deal that met the legitimate needs of law enforcement in a reasonable and fair manner.
“The agreement is designed to deter people from hiding wanted felons,” he said, “even if they are family members. This agreement is consistent with previous cases handled by other prosecutors in this county in the fairly recent past. Ms. White can do something constructive for the community and feel good about that. It seems to square her accounts with law enforcement. The warrant and the case are now clear.”
Douglas added that this case was far different from her harboring Boyce.
“At the end of the day,” he said, “this case involved a mother hiding her son. It needed to be punished as a law violation, but in a reasonable way.”