Woman charged with theft in custody battle over dog
PORTLAND, Ore. -- A woman who wouldn't give up her dog to its original owner earlier this month is facing theft charges after refusing to return the dog.
Jordan Biggs was arrested and charged with first-degree theft Friday in Corvallis. Police seized the dog "Bear" who was with Biggs at the time of the arrest, her attorney Geordie Duckler said. Police also threatened to return the dog to its original owner Sam Hanson-Fleming, who is now under investigation for animal abuse and neglect by the Multnomah County District Attorney's Office.
The charge stems from a bizarre turn of events. Hanson-Fleming lost his dog and then more than a year later found it with a new owner -- Biggs. However, Biggs refused to return the dog, who Hanson-Fleming had named "Chase." Hanson-Fleming said he loves the dog and wants him back, but Biggs, a student from Portland and who is studying in Corvallis, says the dog is now hers. She has named the dog Bear and she's filed a lawsuit to keep him.
Earlier this month, the decision of who rightfully owns the dog went to the Multnomah County Animal Services director, Mike Oswald. He asked for evidence from both sides and then made his ruling.
"Based upon all that I had, it appeared that the dog, Chase, is really owned by Mr. Hanson-Fleming," he said.
But Hanson-Fleming said Biggs still wouldn't give him back the dog even after the ruling and said Biggs filed suit in court, demanding that she keep the dog.
Hanson-Fleming, who has been convicted of three felonies in Oregon (two for drug-related crimes in 2000 and one for criminal mischief in 2003), is now being investigated on allegations that he hit, kicked, bit and urinated on the dog. The investigation also alleges the dog was kept in a filthy environment with feces and urine.
With all of the interest in this, I'm surprised KATU and the other news organizations aren't doing more investigating of all the parties involved and not just regurgitating what people are saying. Easier to do stories on dirty restaurants than take on ex-cops and the DA's office? Don't want to burn bridges to future access, huh?
bobsoper ~
Â
I said IF the allegations prove to be true. Â I am only interested in the dog's welfare. Â
HEY! Â What about the dog, here? If all the allegations about Hanson-Flemings' treatment of the dog are found to be true, why in the world should he get the dog back, regardless of the fact he is indeed the owner? Â Absolutely ludicrous! Â Maybe the dog should be asked where he wants to live.
 @Country Girl Don't you think it a bit odd that the allegations of "abuse" came out after Hanson Fleming refused a bribe from a friend of Biggs' family (a corrupt former Portland cop) who then threatened "you will never see your dog again"?
That is witness tampering, a REAL crime, unlike false allegations which suddenly crop up out of the blue immediately after the dog thief (rightfully) gets arrested.Â
Biggs' family lawyer is trying to smear Hanson Fleming with this malicious accusation... hopefully Hanson Fleming will sue Biggs and Duckworth for every penny they have when this is all over.
This comment has been deleted
 @SheIsTheBiggsThief Portland Police aren't members of PERS, the city has a separate retirement system for retired Portland Police officers as well as retired Portland Fire Fighters, its the City of Portland - Bureau of Fire and Police Disability and Retirement.
I'm curious as to the timing of the allegations. The biggs camp must have already knew this "information" that has just now come out after bigg's arrest. Remember that someone posted on Oregon Live about one week ago stating something about Mr. Hanson's "animal abuse" charge. The post was quickly removed. So, why did they wait until now to inform the police and animal control? If they really thought these allegations were true, would they not have immediately acted on them out of concern for Mr. Hanson's other pet?
I was just looking for Sam's facebook that he made under "Chase Hanson-Fleming", and it no longer exists. Did Sam remove it, or did Jordan Biggs and her buddies report it dozens of times?
 @VisualizeWhirledPeas It's right here: http://www.facebook.com/bringchaseHOMEnow
 @VisualizeWhirledPeas It's still there.
This comment has been deleted
 @archangels007 Guys name is John R. Bocciolatt he is CW Jensens former partner. Look him up on FB if you wanna see what he looks like
 @archangels007 I believe it was somebody else. Name is something like Boccineli - or something similar.
This comment has been deleted
 @archangels007 LOL...oh, man. I totally remember that guy from the police chase shows! He wore more makeup than my wife and three sisters combined! I wonder if the person posting under that name is really him, though. Either way, that really did make me laugh.
 @Gary  @archangels007 I guess the only way to know for sure is to track down *which* bars in Portland are offering free wi-fi right about now LOL
 @archangels007 Am I the only person that is feeling a bit cramped by C.W. Jensen's enormous ego? The cloud of smug over this place is pretty thick.
 @archangels007 YEP!
 @archangels007  @Gary Perhaps their choice of compadre was intentional. I mean, what better way to get the focus off of yourself than to bring in someone who people dislike even more?
**Assuming that this is not just some random creeper posting as the esteemed "CW Jensen"...... but something tells me it isn't.
 @archangels007 Perhaps the Biggs family should have thought things through before having CW Jensen come to their defense. You would think that they would choose to align themselves with someone who doesn't have this dark cloud following them everywhere they go.
This comment has been deleted
 @archangels007 Vinegar and water, or summer fresh? It matters, you know.
This comment has been deleted
 @archangels007 "Clearly the Biggs have money and they feel they are entitled to get whatever they want from whomever they want"
Â
Yep, that's how it works in this country. People with money know that they can usually walk all over the rest of us, and get away with it. Let's hope this time it bites them in the butt.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEFR: Geordie Duckler, attorney for Jordan BiggsDT: 7/20/121. This afternoon, Norman W. Frink, the Chief Deputy District Attorney at the MultnomahCounty District Attorney's Office, opened an active investigation into allegations of animal abuseand neglect against Samuel Hanson Fleming regarding the dog Chase. These allegations arecurrently under official investigation in cooperation with the Portland Police Bureau.2. The Multnomah County District Attorneyâs office has looked into the matter sufficiently todetermine that the allegations âhave at least a superficial credibilityâ, including that:⢠The dog was left in a small cage for two days without food or water. At the end of thetwo days the dog had to be released by a third party;⢠Hanson-Fleming kicked the dog;⢠Hanson-Fleming hit the dog;⢠Hanson-Fleming urinated on the dog;⢠Hanson-Fleming bit the dog;⢠That the dog was kept in an unclean environment with feces and urine.3. Even more specifically, competent eyewitness testimony, recorded statements, privatedocuments, and court records compiled by a private investigation through my office indicate thefollowing:4. Hanson-Fleming is a repeat offender drug dealer with three felony convictions in Oregon, twofor drug-related crimes in 2000, and one for criminal mischief in 2003. He has served time inprison for the crimes and has violated probation conditions with each conviction.5. Hanson-Fleming also has a 2009 misdemeanor conviction in Oregon for furnishing alcohol toa minor.6. Hanson-Fleming regularly kept the dog âChaseâ in a bare metal cage that was far too small forthe dog, often without any food or water at all for lengthy periods of time, and always withoutadequate ventilation, bedding, or sanitation. No vet care of any type was ever provided to thedog, and it was never provided any required treatment or vaccinations.7. Hanson-Fleming frequently urinated on the dog âChaseâ in order to show the dog âwho was inchargeâ.8. Hanson-Fleming regularly kicked, slapped, beat, and hit the dog âChaseâ with his fists inorder to show the dog âwho was in chargeâ. He also instructed his minor grade-school child totreat the dog in the same manner.9. Hanson-Fleming regularly bit the dog âChaseâ with his own mouth in order to show the dogâwho was in chargeâ.10. Hanson-Fleming regularly and deliberately made the dog âChaseâ inhale significant amountsof marijuana smoke in order to amuse himself and his friends, and to psychologically torment thedog.11. Hanson-Fleming regularly kept the dog âChaseâ in a malnourished and weakened state andwithout adequate nutrition, and refused to bathe or clean the dog or provide it any form ofexercise such that the dog was constantly immersed in a sickening odor.12. Hanson-Fleming refused to remove any feces or urine from the dogâs environment andregularly kept the dog âChaseâ in conditions of extreme filth and ill health both inside the dogâscage and inside the apartment itself, where several witnesses observed fecal matter constantlylying in large piles around both the dog and the apartment.13. Hanson-Fleming either left without paying the rents owed to, or was forcibly removed from,several different houses and apartments by landlords each time he would refuse to clean up thecompiled and compacted accumulations of dog feces and urine from the premises.14. Several visitors to Hanson-Flemingâs apartment directly witnessed his abuse and torment ofthe dog âChaseâ, referring to the living conditions for the dog as a âpigstyâ, âdisgustingâ, andâwretchedâ and his treatment of the dog as âterribleâ, âinhumaneâ, and âirresponsibleâ.15. Hanson-Fleming has openly bragged to numerous co-residents and neighbors about hisdeliberate abuse and torment of the dog âChaseâ. He has also been repeatedly deceitful to othersabout his purpose in having the dog and his history with the dog.16. Hanson-Fleming inadequately supervised the dog âChaseâ, and the deplorable conditions inwhich it lived drove it to escape from Hanson-Flemingâs control numerous times.17. Ms. Biggs was arrested and charged with a theft offense this evening by Corvallis PoliceDepartment. While she was then released, officers also seized the dog âBearâ who was with Ms.Biggs at the time of the arrest and have threatened to give the dog to Hanson-Fleming. Thedepartment has been made aware of the above information
 @C.W. Jensen Lies. Pulled out of your backside to smear Sam. I hope he sues Duckler & Biggs for every penny they've got, and that Boccialatt ends up in jail for extortion and/or witness tampering.Â
 @C.W. Jensen Go eff yourself, you alcoholic, lying, unethical, disgraceful old windbag. How much are the Biggs paying you?
Â
 @C.W. Jensen Looks like your "pattern of deceptive behavior" continues.  What's it like to be reduced to a sleazy lap-dog for the sleazy attorney of a sleazy family?  Your parents and kids must be real proud.
 @C.W. JensenÂ
@C.W. Jensen All of the allegations posted do nothing to change the fact that Biggs is a thief. She stole a dog that is owned by Hansen-Fleming and refused to give it back. Hansen-Fleming may or may not be an animal abuser but that is a completely separate matter than ownership of the dog.
 @C.W. Jensen We've seen numerous photographs of the dog that Hanson-Fleming has distributed that were taken over a lengthy span of time, in which Chase was clearly active, a constant companion, and in good health.
Â
Spank your bratty little thief's butt and send her home. We're sick of her manipulative nonsense. And remind her, next time she starts in on the habitual lies, that she ought to at least come up with something that makes sense - asthmatics are made MORE ill by dog dander, not LESS.
Â
When the ONLY references to a service dog for asthma on the whole damn internet link to her, she needs to come up with something a little more plausible.
Â
And her attorney needs to get his diploma from somewhere other than a cereal box.
 @C.W. Jensen Wow, you have no shame and no credibility.
 @C.W. Jensen Let me guess, "CW Jensen", you're the former detective that offered Sam $1000 to make this go away?....The supposed witness is no less than a spiteful, vengeful ex girlfriend looking for her 15 minutes of fame. (She posted on KGW and got blasted for being a hag).
Â
I don't care if the guy is a felon. I could care less if he robbed Burger King with a squirt gun, while dressed as the unibomber. That is a different issue than ownership of property.
Â
Most people can see this for what it really is- Jordan Biggs, her parents, and her mommy's friends attempting to drum up negative public opinion of Sam Hanson- Fleming. Jordan, why don't you stop hiding under your mommy's skirt, and take the punishment that should be coming to you? Folks, this is what you get when you refuse to teach your children right from wrong. You get self entitled, self righteous brats.
 @C.W. Jensen If this is true, I hope the dog is adopted out to a loving family. Whatever happens, Biggs should not be given this dog.Â
 @Gary It's not true. Consider the source. This is from Wiki, regarding CW Jensen:
"Jensen was investigated in 1999 for allegedly claiming improper reimbursement on some meals. However, the investigation was suspended when Jensen took medical leave from his police job, claiming trauma from a previous shooting and alcohol abuse meant that he was no longer fit for the job. Jensen then requested to continue with his old job in September 2003, which subsequently caused the investigation to resume. Jensen was then interviewed by Dr. David Corey to determine whether he was fit for duty. However, this interview contradicted many of Jensen's previous statements, leading Jensen to claim medical leave again.[4] This led to Jensen being fired in March 2004 for engaging in a "pattern of deceptive behavior" Jensen was fired by then Mayor Vera Katz. After Jensen threatened Katz with a lawsuit, a monetary settlement was reached that reinstated him as a Captain for retirement reasons."
Bad news, Sam is NOT getting his dog back today. Looks like Chase has to stay in jail in Corvallis. When the allegations of abuse are found to be bogus, I hope he sues Jordan Biggs and her mommy for all they have.
Â
http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2012/07/portland_man_wont_be_reunited.html
Sounds a little bit of an over kill for a man that apparently "hated" his dog and mistreated it, to spend a full year looking for it, putting up posters, etc.Who made the allegations of mistreatment?Â
 @dblshot Who do YOU think? Three guesses!
This comment has been deleted
 @archangels007  @QuandoQuandoQuando It's just the "retired police officer's" attempt at staying relevant after being off the police force for decades.
If the man was abusing the dog, then he should have no right to the dog. The law may see animals as property, but as people we should look at the best interest of the animal. We obviously so not know all the facts in this case, but if I found an animal, I would risk arrest to keep them from an abuser.
 @cknoxl Good for you. Too bad the Biggs would have no knowledge of such occurrences, leaving them no legal recourse in their vindictive, last-ditch effort to keep the dog.
I'm surprised KATU at your slanted almost libelous story. What do you know that the Oregonian and other news outlets haven't reported. Please state your sources. And how does the man get investigated for the way he treated a dog that was taken from him a year ago? Makes no sense at all. It sounds like you're being influenced by the Biggs camp. I think I'm going to stop being a viewer if this is the kind of news reports you're putting out there. Shameful journalism.
What I see/read here are two different life styles for the dog. With Sam he was an outdoor rough and tumble companion. Which the dog most probably enjoyed. With Biggs he is a indoor care companion who is bathed, brushed and cuddled. Which, no doubt, he enjoys. Who should have him? If, as mentioned, he had a collar and tags, then she should have called the county where the tags were issued to return the dog to his rightful owner, to begin with. I feel sorry for the dog because he has no say in the out come as to where he wants to be.
The ORS description of theft includes "... lost or mislaid property." Upon the determination that Sam was Chases rightfull owner, Biggs became a thief without question. She may be a good girl w/out a blemish, and Sam may have chosen the "scenic route" in getting to where he is today, but that does not have any relevance to his legal rights to Chase. Biggs' whole family sounds like selfish a**hats.
Yeah...and who made the allegations of animal abuse??? Could it be this girl, angry because she isn't getting her way? Allegations are just that...where is the paperwork from authorities regarding these allegations? She really needs to grow up and go away. Go to the shelter and get yourself another dog...one that doesn't already belong to someone else! Thief :(
Well, while I certainly agree that - all things being equal - she probably SHOULD have given the dog back, this is clearly a civil court matter, and I can't believe that the Corvallis police would actually try to make it into a criminal case! She had filed a civil court case, which seems to me to be the responsible way to deal with it. To be fair to her too, I can understand her feelings. My "best buddy" recently passed away at age 15 - BUT I found him abandoned outside my house in rural Multnomah county, when he was already 2 years old, so somebody clearly owned him before me. Now, I did make every effort to find the owners, but after I'd had him sleeping on the foot of my bed for a year, spent a couple of grand on vet bills for him, and most importantly bonded with him, I can't imagine giving him away to somebody who just shows up and says, "Oh, that's my dog."
Â
And by the way, I think it's indicative of the cruddy commenting changes that KATU has implemented, that the "spell-check" not only doesn't recognize "Multnomah", it doesn't even recognize "KATU" - way to go guys!
 @Mick Wagner Thing is, there IS a law that makes it clearly a criminal matter, laying out detailed steps she was required to go through, and she blatantly disregarded them - and given the very short amount of time before she crossed county lines with what is considered stolen property, it's entirely possibly that she may have even deliberately have removed Chase from his yard. All of which makes her, quite simply, a criminal.
 @Mick Wagner Stealing a pet in this state is a FELONY. So, sorry, it's a criminal case.Â
 @Gary However, a pet is also personal property - if she provided veterinary care, food, and other support for a year, then she has a "possessory lien" against the animal, for her incurred expenses; that's ALSO the law in this state. So he gets a year's worth of free care for his animal? She should pay for that?
 @Mick Wagner  Actually theft complaint was filed month before she filed lawsuit, her arrest came as a result of that.  So in a way your right it is odd she trying to sue the guy after the dog gets reported as stolen
 @Mick Wagner While that may be true she vandalized the dog when she had him neutered so she should not recover any moneys spent in the up keep of the animal..... matter of fact she should have to pay to have Neuticles(testicle implant) implanted on the dog to repair the damage she has inflicted
 @archangels007 The guy doesn't know what he's talking about, clearly. He doesn't realize that it stopped being a civil matter when Mike Oswald ruled that Sam is the rightful owner and she still refused to give the dog back, thinking this lawsuit of hers somehow gave her a free pass on keeping the dog.
Â
 @Mick Wagner Since you brought up the notion of a car, can you tell me what the following situations typically end in for the perpetrator:1) A person is caught breaking into a vehicle.2) A person is caught driving a stolen vehicle.3) A person is caught tampering with/stripping a stolen vehicle.Are these acts punishable by criminal law or does the owner of the car have to file a civil suit to see justice? Take your time now. Don't strain yourself.Â
 @Mick Wagner I love it when people resort to personal attacks on comment threads! It means they know they've got nothing.Â
 @Mick Wagner Me stop being defensive? You're all over these comments spouting unfounded dribble and jumping down peoples' throats for "not keeping up on current events" (which is seriously the mark of a really old, practically senile, insane person), and I've yet to see you say anything accurate or true. So just stop! If you don't want people giving you a verbal a**-kicking, then go away, because as long as you're here claiming all of these things that I'm about 99.9% sure you're making up as you go, I'll be here to knock you down. :D
 @Gary I'm sorry, I'm only interested in discussing matters of interest, with persons who possess a three-digit I.Q.; unfortunately, you're too short to ride this attraction. Keep on being cute.
 @Mick Wagner LOL...why do you keep trying to educate people on how the law works when you're consistently WRONG? Stop it.Â
 @Gary Stop being so defensive. Sheesh, it's like having a conversation with a bunch of six-year olds! I'm not taking her side, I'm just saying that it is -as it should be - a civil matter. If I get my car broken into, I can't even get a cop to respond, but she gets arrested, AFTER she has filed a civil suit? It seems to me as though we're only getting one side of the story in most of this, and I object to the mis-use of police resource AND the crappy journalism!
.
 @Mick Wagner Not when it's been proven that she lied about all of her supposed "attempts" at finding the original owner. The article says SHE CLAIMED to have done those things. Multnomah County says otherwise. Also, the veterinary care, licensing and microchipping all happened on the same day she called Hanson-Fleming to tell him she wasn't giving his dog back. Derp de derp de derp. Quit arguing facts. You're embarrassing yourself.
 @MacNCheez I'm sorry - that's not how the law works. If he claims that he owned the dog during that period of time, then he's responsible for the expenses of its care, REGARDLESS of where the dog was actually located. Remember, Oregon is - at its heart - a farm state, and the laws that govern this situation were actually crafted with regard to livestock, NOT pets. If YOUR cow wanders into MY herd, and I take care of it for a year before you find it and want to reclaim it, you will owe me for a years' food and stalling, BEFORE you can take your cow to the market and sell it for burgers. The law makes no distinction between species of animals.
He didn't have possession of Chase so there is no free care to speak of. Its a wash. She paid for Chases care while she had possession of him. And she's a lying thief. I'd tust someone w/ drug charges over 10 years ago, any day, over a present thief.
This comment has been deleted
 @archangels007 On what basis are you making the statement "Biggs made no such effort"? The story says that she did make efforts to find the owner. Also, Animal Control will not normally take a found animal from you, unless you want them to. They have very limited space, so they are more than happy to let you care for a found animal, while entering the info into their system, in case the owner calls or shows up. The whole story has pretty much been told from Hanson-Fleming's point of view - I haven't seen where any of these so-called "journalists" have even TRIED to get Biggs' side of the story from her directly.
 @Mick Wagner Just for the record Criminal complaint regarding the theft of the dog was filed mid May...... the petition from Biggs got filed in July.  This began as a criminal case not a civil one.
 @Mick Wagner She never reported finding the dog to animal control. If she had, they would have reunited the dog with Sam, who reported the dog lost. That was her first mistake. Also, Chase was wearing a collar with a license and a phone number when he got lost.
 @Mick Wagner Guess you're not keeping up on your current events there, guy. Where do you think the picture of her and the dog taken by a reporter came from? Mars? She went to the press before Sam ever did trying to garner some kind of public support. Too bad it backfired since the majority of people aren't thieves.Â