AltWeeklies Wire
The Russian Mob Comes to Town with a New Scam: Medical Identity Theftnew
The ease with which Alexandr Shcherbakov and at least one other Russian in Portland bilked the feds illustrates in part why healthcare costs are soaring. "Medical identity theft is the new frontier for organized crime," says Alex Johnson, a former FBI agent who investigates fraud for Regence BlueShield.
Willamette Week |
Nigel Jaquiss |
07-09-2008 |
Crime & Justice
Why Doesn't Oregon Let Bounty Hunters Chase Down its Most Wanted?new

Since 1974, this state has banned bail bondsmen from operating inside its borders -- one of only four states in the country to do so. Critics say it's no coincidence that in Portland alone, there are thousands of wanted criminals walking the streets.
Willamette Week |
James Pitkin |
07-02-2008 |
Crime & Justice
The Death of a Landlordnew
Plenty of people want to kill their landlord. Not many are accused of actually doing it, hacking him to pieces, offing a roommate at the same time, then dumping both bodies 30 miles away in the sticks.
Willamette Week |
James Pitkin |
06-11-2008 |
Crime & Justice
Environmental Icon to Plead Guilty to Arson and Conspiracynew

Tre Arrow's decision last week to plead guilty to the longstanding federal charges comes as a blow to his fellow activists, some of whom have spent years fighting for his release while Arrow proclaimed his innocence.
Willamette Week |
James Pitkin |
05-28-2008 |
Crime & Justice
The 30-Year Secretnew
A crime, a cover-up and the way it shaped Oregon.
Willamette Week |
Nigel Jaquiss |
04-21-2008 |
Crime & Justice
Tags: media, crime & justice
New Lawsuit Targets Cops Who Killed Man on 'Shroomsnew
Give a 20-year-old enough magic mushrooms to make 30 people trip hard. Then put him up against three cops armed with Tasers, beanbag guns and Glocks. It's a recipe for disaster, and that's exactly what happened.
Willamette Week |
James Pitkin |
04-02-2008 |
Crime & Justice
Tags: crime & justice
Trade Offnew
What happens to prison job training if voters OK a measure to add even more inmates?
Willamette Week |
Mark Noack |
03-05-2008 |
Crime & Justice
Tags: crime & justice
FBI Agent Uses His Daughter's Pic to Lure Accused Predatornew
It's a case straight out of crime TV. A high-powered Seattle lawyer finds a 14-year-old girl in an internet chat room and talks her into meeting him for some kinky sex in a hotel. But when he shows up at a Portland MAX stop for the promised spanking session, he gets handcuffed by FBI agents, who were posing as the girl online to snare sexual predators.
Willamette Week |
James Pitkin |
02-13-2008 |
Crime & Justice
Tags: crime & justice
The Debt Effectnew
One of Oregon’s biggest collection lawyers faces new troubles from the debtors he’s sued.
Willamette Week |
James Pitkin |
02-06-2008 |
Crime & Justice
Tags: crime & justice
Killing Time: Dead Men Waiting on Oregon's Death Rownew

The state's machinery of death is clearly in place. But since the U.S. Supreme Court allowed states to resume executions in 1976, Oregon has killed only two men. Meanwhile, 35 men sit alone this week in their cells on death row.
Willamette Week |
James Pitkin |
01-23-2008 |
Crime & Justice
Trial By Facebooknew
When Lewis&Clark students decided to warn others about Morgan Shaw-Fox, they didn't go to the authorities -- they went to their computers.
Willamette Week |
Beth Slovic |
01-09-2008 |
Crime & Justice
Tags: crime & justice
Sacrificing Rebeccanew
Laurie Recht loved her daughter to death. Literally.
Willamette Week |
Nancy Rommelmann |
12-19-2007 |
Crime & Justice
Tags: crime & justice
Hold the Linenew
Randy Leonard wants no 911 calls on hold. A WW records review finds that's a tall order.
Willamette Week |
James Pitkin |
07-05-2007 |
Crime & Justice
Tags: crime & justice
Justicia Deferrednew
Rebecca Roth, charged in connection with an international Ponzi scheme, has spent 13 months in a Mexican prison.
Willamette Week |
Beth Slovic |
03-15-2007 |
Crime & Justice
Tags: crime & justice
North By Northwestnew
Is Scott Caplan a cloak-and-dagger Portland lawyer, or did the CIA fool him into helping torture accused terrorists?
Willamette Week |
James Pitkin |
02-21-2007 |
Crime & Justice