Deputies and Detectives Work Together to Identify and Charge a Wanted, Prolific Thief and Convicted Felon with Multiple New Crimes
Spokane County and Spokane Valley Deputies identified a suspect who gave false information, including a false name, during a traffic stop. Although the suspect wasn’t booked into jail at that time, the Deputies were skeptical of his story and continued to investigate. After determining the suspect, a convicted felon, lied about his identity, had valid warrants for his arrest, and with probable cause established for several new charges, Deputies located and arrested him the following day. Using the information learned through the Deputies’ investigation, Spokane County Sheriff’s Office Detectives linked the suspect to additional property crimes, and they added more charges to his jail booking sheet. The suspect remains in custody, charged with multiple new felony and misdemeanor charges in addition to his valid unrelated warrants.
On July 14, 2025, Spokane County and Spokane Valley Deputies contacted the suspect, later identified as 46-year-old John R. Cravens, during a traffic stop. Cravens lied about his identity, and although the Deputies were cynical about the information he provided, they could not establish probable cause to charge him with several crimes he was suspected of committing. He was eventually released with a criminal citation for Possession of a Controlled Substance, issued under the false name he initially provided.
Deputies continued to dig into Cravens’ story. They later learned his correct identity and discovered that he was a several-time convicted felon with several felony and misdemeanor arrests for property crimes/theft charges in Washington and Idaho. They also developed probable cause to arrest him on new charges, including Possession of a Stolen Motor Vehicle, Identity Theft 2nd Degree, Operating a Motor Vehicle without an Interlock Device, and Driving while Suspended 3rd Degree.
On July 15, 2025, Deputies, armed with this new information, began searching for Cravens. At approximately 11:20 am, they observed Cravens riding a bicycle on N. Argonne Road near I-90. They stopped their fully marked patrol car, activated their emergency lights, and instructed Cravens to approach them. Unfortunately, he chose to recklessly flee on the bicycle, despite heavy traffic, in an apparent attempt to evade them. He eventually crashed and was taken into custody.
After being medically cleared, Deputies transported and booked Cravens into the Spokane County Jail for several new charges, as well as his outstanding warrants in Washington and Idaho.
With the information gathered by Deputies and the Real-Time Crime Center, Spokane County Investigative Unit (SCIU) Detectives joined the investigation. They connected Cravens with additional garage burglaries, vehicle prowlings, and other similar theft crimes. Afterward, SCIU Detectives added their new charges to Cravens’ jail booking sheet.
Cravens remains in custody at the Spokane County Jail charged with Burglary 2nd Degree, Attempted Burglary 2nd Degree, Theft 2nd Degree, Possession of a Stolen Motor Vehicle, Identity Theft 2nd Degree, and Vehicle Prowling, in addition to, his unrelated warrant for Physical Control while Impaired, Obstructing Law Enforcement, and a Washington State Department of Corrections Hold (original charge Assault 2nd Degree with a Deadly Weapon). He’s also being held as a fugitive from justice, pending extradition, due to his outstanding felony warrant in Idaho.
This Spokane County Sheriff Office news article "Deputies and Detectives Work Together to Identify and Charge a Wanted, Prolific Thief and Convicted" was originally found on https://www.spokanecounty.org/CivicAlerts.aspx?CID=7