EPHRATA — A Grand Coulee man has been sentenced to nearly six years in prison after pleading guilty to a number of charges connected to a December 2017 incident when he reportedly threw an ax at a Moses Lake store employee while fleeing with stolen items.

Cory Ray Campbell, 38, pleaded guilty Oct. 26 to second-degree assault with a deadly weapon, second-degree theft, second-degree retail theft with special circumstances and possession of a controlled substance. An additional second-degree assault charge and a first-degree robbery charge were dismissed as part of the plea agreement, according to court documents.

Moses Lake police were dispatched to The Home Depot on the night of Dec. 11, 2017, for a report of a subject who had threatened employees with an ax after attempting to flee with a shopping cart full of stolen items, according to police reports.

According to court documents, store employees had noticed Campbell wandering through Home Depot and filling a cart with miscellaneous items. When he approached the front doors and was confronted by a number of employees, Campbell was reportedly carrying a large ax with him. Campbell raised the ax when an employee asked to see his receipt and said, “I’m sorry, but I’m leaving,” according to a witness statement. The employee reportedly replied, “OK, have a nice night.”

As the employee began to call the police, another employee stopped Campbell’s cart, according to court documents. Campbell began swinging the ax in the direction of the employee who stopped him, slipped and caught himself on the shopping cart, knocking it over. When Campbell regained his balance, he reportedly threw the ax at the employee, who ducked out of the way.

According to police reports, earlier that day, Campbell had been seen filling a tote bag with clothes and items at Walmart in Moses Lake. He was also later identified as having stolen a basket full of items from Rite Aid a month earlier, ditching his vehicle in a field after a police chase, according to court documents. Methamphetamine was located in the vehicle, leading to possession charges.

Campbell had fled The Home Depot by the time police arrived, but he was identified three days later by a Grand Coulee police officer. Before Campbell could be located by police, he was caught on surveillance footage back in Moses Lake Walmart on Dec. 17 filling a trash can with miscellaneous items and leaving the store without paying.

Campbell’s length of prison sentence came in part due to his criminal record, which includes several past convictions for theft and assault charges.

Emry Dinman can be reached via email at edinman@columbiabasinherald.com.