Ferndale man awaiting trial on property crimes arrested again while out on bail

WHATCOM COUNTY, Wash. — Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) and Bellingham Police charged a Ferndale man with suspicion of committing felony property crimes while out of custody pending trial in 2 cases in Whatcom County Superior Court and 1 case in Skagit County Superior Court.

Whatcom County Jail records show Hal Louis Hovander, age 40, was booked into the jail on September 25, 2025, by WCSO and charged with committing crimes in WCSO and Bellingham Police Department jurisdictions.

As a result, he now faces felony charges of the following.

2nd-degree organized retail theft
1st-degree possessing stolen property
1st-degree trafficking stolen property

According to court records, the retail theft charge was the result of Hovander being identified as 1 of 2 persons seen on security video leaving a Bellingham retail store with over $2,400 in unpaid merchandise.

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The other charges were related to a reported 2021 theft of heavy equipment valued at $20,000 from a construction job site. Employees discovered an advertisement selling the same equipment for $8,500 complete with modifications they had made to it prior to the theft. They alerted WCSO who set up an appointment on September 25, 2025, to meet with the seller under the guise of wanting to purchase the equipment.

At the arranged time and place, Hovander appeared and met with the detective posing as a buyer. WCSO deputies arrived and he was taken into custody and booked into the jail.

At the time of this booking, Hovander was out of custody after posting $1,000 cash bail while awaiting trial in Whatcom and Skagit courts where he faces the following charges.