Fraud
Latest Stories
Eugene-based sneaker business owner pleads guilty in $80M fraud scheme
Zadeh Kicks' owner Michael Malekzadeh and Chief Financial Officer Bethany Mockerman were charged with falsifying information on multiple bank loan applications, and receiving more than $15 million in the process.

Crime
Former Clackamas commissioner defrauded her mother’s elderly boyfriend, records show
The records allege Melissa Fireside accessed Arthur Petrone’s accounts after she took her mother to visits at the assisted living facility in Lake Oswego where Petrone lived.
Washington state gets New York bank to pay $10M for its role in pandemic unemployment fraud
Washington state lost $647 million from identity theft and unemployment benefits fraud during the pandemic.

Scammers applying for benefits under Oregon’s new paid leave program raise consumer protection concerns
Scammers are using stolen identities to create fake claims for Oregon’s new Paid Leave program. That’s raising concerns about the safety of personal data.

Scammers targeting public benefits have discovered new Paid Leave Oregon program
Public benefits have long been a target of fraudsters who attempt to illegally gain access to personal data in order to file fraudulent applications. Officials with Paid Leave Oregon said it is experiencing the same type of attempted fraud.
Business
3 executives for Oregon investment firm receive long sentences for fraudulent conspiracy
Three former leaders of Aequitas Capital Management are headed to federal prison following a sentencing decision Thursday.

Executive sentenced to 5 months for his role in Trump Organization tax fraud
The company's longtime chief financial officer had pleaded guilty to 15 felonies and testified against the Trump Organization, which was convicted last month and is set to be sentenced on Friday.

Rancher Easterday likely starting federal prison term soon for cattle swindle
A big-time Northwest rancher has snatched himself a last two-week extension of freedom before he goes into federal prison.

Weekday Wrap: A tale of two Pendleton motels; homeless services in Gresham and a university’s organic apple orchard in Idaho
A Gresham man could serve 20 years in prison for wire fraud after creating a fake business and applying for PPP loans. Portland-area pets may be out of luck in emergency situations due to a critical shortage of certified veterinary technicians. A mother and her two kids are making Worry Monsters and sending them to students in Uvalde.
Nevada man pleads guilty to fraud that cost Oregon’s Warm Springs Tribes
The former manager of a construction business owned by the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs in Oregon has pleaded guilty for his role in fraud that cost the tribes over $50,000