A former restaurant owner from Lake Sammamish has pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Seattle to charges of wire fraud and filing a false tax return, according to an announcement by U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Richard Dale Radcliffe, 62, admitted on November 12, 2025, that he took $515,000 from the financial accounts of an elderly woman who was his former customer.
Court documents show that Radcliffe developed a friendship with a widow living near his restaurant. The woman was elderly and experiencing cognitive decline. Radcliffe arranged for one of his friends to serve as her power of attorney while maintaining access and control over her bank accounts. The victim, who had no surviving family members, relied on Radcliffe to help manage her finances and pay bills.
Radcliffe used this trust to take money from her accounts for personal use, including real estate purchases, gambling, travel expenses, and costs related to operating his restaurant. He also convinced his friend acting as power of attorney to liquidate more than $800,000 from the victim’s retirement account. Radcliffe falsely claimed this money was reimbursement for expenses he said he incurred caring for the victim and remodeling her home.
After the victim moved into an assisted living facility and died in November 2020, Radcliffe moved into her waterfront home and later inherited her estate.
When filing taxes in February 2021, Radcliffe did not report $437,000 he had embezzled from the victim’s accounts. This unreported income resulted in a tax liability of $124,000 that was not disclosed to the IRS. As part of his plea agreement, Radcliffe will pay the $124,000 owed to the IRS.
Prosecutors have agreed to recommend a sentence not exceeding 46 months or within federal sentencing guidelines when Radcliffe is sentenced on February 5, 2026.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI). Assistant United States Attorneys Jessica Manca and Grace Zoller are prosecuting the case.
“Richard Dale Radcliffe…admitted on November 12, 2025, that he illegally took $515,000 from the financial accounts of an elderly woman he befriended for the purpose of personally benefiting from her wealth,” said U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd.
