Parking enforcement officer arrested in connection with Craigslist scam
OREGON CITY, Ore. - A parking code enforcement officer for Oregon City was arrested this week on aggravated theft and computer crime charges.
Gary Anthony Stewart, 40, was booked in the Clackamas County Jail on Tuesday and is scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday afternoon.
According to police, Stewart is charged in connection with fraudulent ads placed on Craigslist and suspicious wire transfers that caught the attention of an investigator at Key Bank.
Here is the account from the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office on their investigation:
- "On Nov. 25, a senior investigator representing Key Bank contacted a Clackamas County Deputy Sheriff assigned to the City of Wilsonville Police Department. This investigator reported she had been contacted by an out of state resident inquiring about the validity of an "eBay safety bank account" in which this person was to transfer in excess of $9,000 as payment for a used pick-up truck listed for sale on Craigslist. This prospective buyer said the money was to be wired to the Key Bank account on Southwest Wilsonville Road in Wilsonville. This bank account was known to belong to Gary A. Stewart.
- This senior investigator also determined that this Gary A. Stewart 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 the two additional transactions were in the amount of $9,900.
- The bank's investigator also she recognized these wire transfers were abnormal for this account, and suspected fraud was occurring on the account - as it never had such large deposits and/or balances in the past.
- This investigator also noticed Stewart had withdrawn $6,000 cash on Nov. 25, at the Key Bank branch located on Hood Street, in West Linn. With additional attempts - only hours apart - to withdraw $18,000 at the Key Bank branch on Molalla Avenue in Oregon City. And $15,000 at the Key Bank branch on Southeast Main Street in Milwaukie.
- The bank's investigator immediately placed a hold on Stewart's Key Bank account so money could not be withdrawn.
- A Clackamas County Deputy Sheriff contacted a victim by telephone to obtain relevant statements and information pertaining to this investigation. This citizen indicates she responded to a Craigslist advertisement on Nov. 24, for the purchase of a 2006 Range Rover Sport, listed for $9,700.
- This victim informed investigators she communicated by email several times with a person who possessed an AOL.com account. On Nov. 25 this victim wired $9,700 to the Key Bank account in the name Gary A Stewart in Wilsonville. Later that same day, the victim was said she was notified by her financial institution, in Washington, that the Craigslist ad was fraudulent.
Stewart has worked for two years as a civilian code enforcement officer for Oregon City. He lives in Milwaukie.
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