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The investigation, conducted by the Lake Oswego Police Department and the Criminal Justice Division of the Oregon Department of Justice, has been ongoing for months. Reports indicate the alleged fraud took place in September while Fireside was campaigning against Republican County Commissioner Mark Shull.
According to Willamette Week, Fireside allegedly defrauded Arthur Wayne Petrone of at least $74,000. The details of the fraudulent scheme remain unclear, but the Democrat official now faces serious legal consequences.
Fireside’s charges include 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. The Oregon Department of Justice clarified that if convicted, the maximum sentence could be up to ten years for aggravated theft and up to five years for each of the other charges.
A spokesperson from the Oregon Department of Justice confirmed that Petrone and Dobson are not related. Additionally, there is currently no probable cause affidavit available for the case.
Meanwhile, Rep. April Dobson revealed that Fireside had approached her seeking financial assistance. “Last summer, Melissa Fireside came to me as a friend looking for temporary relief for her personal business. My instinct was to support a single mother of a young child during a tough time,” Dobson stated.
Dobson explained that she provided Fireside with a loan under a written contract, which required full repayment within a month. Fireside did pay the loan back as agreed. However, in November, law enforcement contacted Dobson, informing her that the money Fireside used to repay her had questionable origins.
“In November I was contacted by law enforcement who informed me there was an issue with the source of the money Melissa Fireside used to pay me back,” Dobson said. “I did not hesitate to share all the information I had to help the detectives with their investigation.”
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Dobson has since distanced herself from Fireside and has called for her immediate resignation. “We have so much work ahead of us in Clackamas County, and our residents deserve leaders they can trust,” she stated. “I believe Melissa Fireside’s actions are unacceptable for an elected official and call on her to resign immediately.”
Attorney General Rayfield also condemned the alleged crimes, stating, “When someone in a position of public trust takes advantage of our seniors, it is a betrayal on multiple levels.”
As this case unfolds, questions remain about how a recently elected Democrat official could have been involved in such a significant financial crime. The people of Clackamas County are left wondering whether their local government is in safe hands.
