Press release from: Clackamas County Sheriff's Office

Sheriff's Office arrests Oregon City man on aggravated theft, computer-crime charges

Posted: Dec. 2, 2009

Photo: Gary Anthony Stewart

CCSO CASE # 09-36561

On Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2009, a Clackamas County Sheriff's Office deputy arrested Gary Anthony Stewart, age 40, who resides in Milwaukie. Stewart was arrested late Monday afternoon in Oregon City -- where he has been employed for two years as a civilian Code Enforcement Officer (Parking Meters) for the City of Oregon City.

On Nov. 25, 2009, a Key Bank senior investigator contacted a Clackamas County deputy assigned to the City of Wilsonville Police. The Key Bank investigator told the deputy that she had been contacted by an out-of-state resident enquiring about the validity of an "eBay safety bank account" at Key Bank. This out-of-state resident was being asked to wire-transfer over $9,000 into this "eBay safety bank account" as payment for a used pick-up truck listed for sale on Craigslist.

This "safety" account -- located at the Key Bank branch on SW Wilsonville Road, in Wilsonville -- was known to belong to Gary A. Stewart.

The Key Bank senior investigator also discovered that Gary A. Stewart's "safety" account at the Key Bank branch in Wilsonville had just received four electronic wire transfers earlier in the day. Two of the wire transfers were in the amount of $9,700, and two additional transactions were in the amount of $9,900.

The Key Bank investigator recognized that these wire transfers were abnormal for this account -- and suspected fraud might be occurring, because this account had never had such large deposits and/or balances in the past.

This investigator also discovered that Stewart had withdrawn $6,000 cash on Nov. 25, at the Key Bank branch located on Hood Street in West Linn. There were also additional attempts -- only hours apart -- to withdraw $18,000 at the Key Bank branch located on Molalla Ave. in Oregon City and $15,000 at the Key Bank branch located on SE Main Street in Milwaukie.

The Key Bank investigator immediately placed a hold on Stewart's account so money could not be withdrawn.

A deputy contacted a victim by telephone to obtain statements and information pertaining to this investigation. This citizen told the deputy that she had responded to a Craigslist advertisement on Nov. 24 for the purchase of a 2006 Range Rover Sport, listed for $9,700.

This victim told investigators that she had communicated by email several times with a person possessing an AOL.com account. On Nov. 25, the victim wired $9,700 to the Wilsonville Key Bank account in the name of Gary A Stewart.

Later that same day, the victim was notified by her Washington financial institution that the Craigslist ad was fraudulent.

On Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2009 at 7:15 p.m., Gary Anthony Stewart was booked in the Clackamas County Jail on charges of Aggravated Theft in the First Degree and two counts of computer crime.

Gary Stewart is expected to be arraigned on these criminal matters in Clackamas County Circuit Court today (Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2009) at 3 p.m.

Clackamas County Sheriff's Office investigators commend the Key Bank senior investigator's quick action -- which prevented the potential loss of almost $40,000. Investigators have reportedly identified all alleged out-of-state victims -- and were able to inform these grateful individuals that their money was now secure.

This is an ongoing criminal investigation.

CCSO CASE # 09-36561

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