Herald Writer

ARLINGTON — A man’s body was found Saturday at the home of the former director of the Snohomish County Emergency Radio System.

The body is believed to be that of Mark S. McDermott, 64. The former radio system director has been the focus of an expanding Lynnwood police investigation into alleged thefts of public funds.

The Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office was called to the Arlington-area man’s home, and they notified Lynnwood police.

The medical examiner was asked to collect the body and confirm identification, as well as to determine the cause and manner of death. There was no evidence of foul play, according to the sheriff’s office.

McDermott has been facing the possibility of time behind bars in connection with theft allegations. He had not been charged with a crime. He was arrested in late 2015 and released pending additional detective work.

Detectives plan to continue their investigation into the alleged purchases made with radio system funds, said Lynnwood Police Chief Steve Jensen, who also serves on the radio system’s board. The radio system “still has a duty to recover these assets,” he said.

McDermott was fired from the agency in October for lying about his credentials. Soon afterward, detectives were asked to look into problematic invoices linked to the radio system accounts.

The questioned purchases went back to 2011 and total tens of thousands of dollars. The items reportedly were obtained to make improvements on McDermott’s house and land.