Attorney General Rayfield: “It does not matter who you are, which political party you’re in or what position you hold, we will aggressively prosecute those who victimize Oregon’s seniors.”
Attorney General Dan Rayfield announced that Clackamas County Commissioner Melissa Fireside has been charged with 8 counts of theft, including Aggravated Theft in the First Degree and Identity Theft. Fireside was arraigned today at the Clackamas County courthouse and released on the condition that she have no contact with the elderly victim, or Oregon State Representative April Dobson.
“It does not matter who you are, which political party you’re in or what position you hold,” said Rayfield. “We will aggressively prosecute those who victimize Oregon’s seniors.”
The eight-count indictment is the result of a months-long investigation by the Lake Oswego Police Department and the Criminal Justice Division of the Oregon Department of Justice. After Fireside was elected as a Clackamas County Commissioner, District Attorney John Wentworth asked the Oregon DOJ to review any criminal allegations due to a conflict of interest.
Fireside is charged with taking financial advantage of an 83-year-old man while accessing a computer network, as well as forging his and Dobson’s signature as part of the scheme.
“When someone in a position of public trust takes advantage of our seniors, it is a betrayal on multiple levels,” said Rayfield.
Fireside is charged with Aggravated Theft in the First Degree, Theft in the First Degree, two counts of Identity Theft, two counts of Computer Crime and two counts of Forgery in the First Degree.
Because all the charges are felonies, any sentence will be determined by Oregon’s felony sentencing guidelines. The sentence cannot be higher than ten years for the Aggravated Theft in the First-Degree charge or five years for each of the remaining charges.
An indictment is merely a formal charging document and is not evidence of guilt. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Fireside’s next court appearance will be April 28th at 10am for a status check. The case number is 25CR11597.