Newly-elected Clackamas County Commissioner Melissa Fireside was indicted on eight felony counts for stealing thousands of dollars from an 83-year-old man, according to court documents unsealed Wednesday.
According to prosecutors, Fireside accessed the computer network of Arthur Wayne Petrone last September and also forged the signature of Oregon State Rep. April Dobson, a Democrat who represents Milwaukie, North Clackamas and Happy Valley.
Dobson said in a statement that Fireside came to her “as a friend looking for temporary relief for her personal business” last summer. Dobson said she agreed to “support a single mother of a young child during a tough time.”
“I drew up a contract which explicitly stated she would repay the loan within one month, and she did so,” Dobson said.
In November, Dobson said she was contacted by police and informed there “was an issue with the source of the money” Fireside used to pay her back. Dobson said she shared what she knew to help police with their investigation and has not been in contact with Fireside since then.
A grand jury indicted Fireside, 43, on Feb. 28, on charges including aggravated theft in the first degree, identity theft and forgery in the first degree. She was arraigned on the charges Wednesday in Clackamas County Circuit Court. Fireside’s attorney declined to comment.
Melissa Fireside, pictured during her run for Clackamas County's board of commissioners. She has been charged with eight felony counts.
Courtesy of the Fireside Campaign
County leaders said Fireside is taking a leave of absence, effective immediately.
Fireside was elected to a seat on the county’s governing board in November, ousting controversial commissioner Mark Shull.
After she was elected, the case was referred to the Oregon Department of Justice by Clackamas County District Attorney John Wentworth due to a conflict of interest.
Attorney General Dan Rayfield said his agency was also brought in because the case involved a public official and the Justice Department has a prosecutor who specializes in elder abuse.
“When there are violations of law, it doesn’t matter who you are, where you come from, our society depends on the equal enforcement of our law, especially when it comes to vulnerable people in our communities,” Rayfield told OPB.
The case was investigated for months by the Lake Oswego Police Department. The indictment states the alleged thefts and forgeries took place between Sept. 16, 2024 and Jan. 13, 2025.
The indictment raises questions about Fireside’s political future. Clackamas County Board Chair Craig Roberts said in a statement late Wednesday that while they do not have legal authority to remove a commissioner, the Board is “reviewing all available options within its legal authority to uphold the trust of Clackamas County voters and address their concerns.”
In her statement, Dobson called Fireside’s actions “unacceptable for an elected official” and called for her to resign.
Before she was charged, Fireside testified before a Clackamas County grand jury on Feb. 25. A special investigator with the Oregon Department of Justice, along with Dobson and Petrone, also testified, according to court records.
