Oregon
Founder of Oregon nonprofit embezzled $837K meant for disaster victims, AG says
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — An Oregon nonprofit and its founder are being sued by the attorney general for allegedly stealing charitable funds meant to help victims of wildfires, floods and tornadoes.
The lawsuit was filed April 16 in Multnomah County Circuit Court against Cascade Relief Team and its founder Marc Brooks, who is accused of stealing nearly $837,000 in donations and grants to fund personal trips to casinos, strip clubs, Disneyland and more.
“Oregonians donated to this organization because they wanted to help their neighbors recover from wildfires and floods,” said Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield.
“Instead, that money went into one man’s pocket, spent on casino trips and personal bills while flood and fire victims waited for assistance. We will be sure he is held accountable for every dollar he took.”
Brooks founded the Cascade Relief Team after the Labor Day wildfires ravaged Oregon in 2020, and was vocal about the organization’s work. Late the following year, CRT announced they were traveling to Kentucky to provide tornado relief.
But CRT was never legitimately governed, according to the lawsuit. Board members who were listed on government filings had never seen a financial record or attended a meeting. Brooks himself didn’t even keep records or make any attempts to track the charitable assets he controlled. Instead, he opened multiple bank accounts in CRT’s name, run those dry and rack up excessive fees until eventually the bank closed each account.
CRT reported $48,000 in revenue in 2020 but only $26,195.76 was deposited, according to the lawsuit. In 2021, CRT reported revenues of $941,587, but only $856,000 was deposited. The massive growth in revenue was due mostly to an influx of donations from Oregonians who responded to solicitations for humanitarian assistance.
The other main source of income for CRT was a contract with the Oregon Department of Human Services, which reportedly provided CRT a list of Oregonians who were eligible for and in need of assistance. They paid CRT $60 an hour and reimbursement for expenditures to provide Oregonians in need with social service and wraparound support from November 2022 to June 2023, but chose not to renew the contract due to concerns over CRT’s governance.
In 2023, the Oregon State Fire Marshal awarded CRT a $100,000 grant to remove trees and debris from the Echo Mountain, Riverside, Beachie Creek, Almeda, Bootleg and Holiday Farm fires. CRT had previously outlined its plan for the money on its Facebook page, but removed it upon receiving the money. Because the grant required a workplace and regular progress reports, OSFM tried to contact CRT regarding the plan and any updates, but their email address no longer worked. To date, OSFM has been unable to confirm whether CRT performed any of the work.
In another instance, the Red Cross granted CRT $326,000 to assist Kentucky tornado victims, but the money landed in an account that was already significantly overdrawn. As a result, nearly $17,000 of the grant money meant to help disaster victims went to cover overdraft fees incurred by Brooks’ mismanagement. He used the remaining $309,000 to start his own business, according to the complaint.
Brooks allegedly used charitable funds for his own benefit, including nearly $271,000 in payments to his personal credit cards, loans and bills; more than $116,000 on travel with no connection to disaster relief; $155,000 in loans solicited for CRT’s use, but never deposited into CRT accounts; more than $67,000 on personal expenses such as rent, child support, liquor, strip clubs and jewelry, and more.
CRT reportedly ran out of money in late 2023, and Brooks fired the entire staff. He made no efforts to reach out to its donors or beneficiaries, and he did not distribute any assets to another charity, remove the website or dissolved the corporation, according to the complaint. The IRS revoked its tax-exempt, tax-deductible status.
The lawsuit asks for Brooks to repay the $836,781.90 lost, permanently dissolve CRT, and that he be prohibited from leading or handling any money for another charitable organization in the future.
Brooks did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
Oregon
New Jersey man sentenced in Oregon federal court for conspiring to distribute fentanyl
PORTLAND, Ore. — A New Jersey man was sentenced to federal prison last Friday for conspiring to distribute fentanyl, announced U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford for the District of Oregon.
Mark T. Eager, 34, was sentenced to 135 months in federal prison and five years of supervised release.
“This defendant showed a blatant disregard for human life by trafficking fentanyl across the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Bradford. “My office will continue to pursue those who profit from poisoning our communities, and we will use every available resource and partnership to combat fentanyl trafficking and keep Oregonians safe.”
“This investigation brought together law enforcement agencies from across the nation,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Seattle acting Special Agent in Charge April Miller. “Homeland Security Investigations special agents from Portland, Newark, and Houston contributed to the case, along with the Portland Police Bureau and HIDTA HIT officers, who were instrumental in identifying Eager. His 11-year sentence sends a clear message: no matter where you are in the country or the world, if you attempt to sell narcotics online to Americans, we will find you.”
“Fentanyl trafficking poses a grave threat to communities across the United States, and Homeland Security Investigations is committed to working with our partners to disrupt and dismantle the criminal networks responsible,” said HSI Houston Special Agent in Charge Lucia Cabral-DeArmas. “This case demonstrates the power of interagency collaboration under the Homeland Security Task Force initiative, leveraging resources from across the country to hold traffickers accountable and protect the American people. We will continue to pursue those who endanger lives through the distribution of dangerous synthetic opioids, and we remain steadfast in our mission to safeguard our communities from the violence and instability caused by transnational criminal organizations.”
“By following this offender’s digital trail, Homeland Security Investigations and our law enforcement partners nationwide executed federal search warrants, dismantled an active dark web fentanyl packaging operation and recovered deadly amounts of fentanyl, thousands of dollars in cryptocurrency, and a trove of electronic devices and packaging materials,” said HSI Newark Acting Special Agent in Charge Spiros Karabinas. “This case is a powerful example of how coordinated, data-driven investigations can disrupt dangerous networks and help protect our communities from lethal synthetic opioids.”
According to court documents, from November 2023 through June 2024, Eager and his co-conspirator sold fentanyl on the Dark Net and Telegram. Eager operated as the vendor WRSEH10 and marketed the fentanyl as “China White Synthetic Heroin.”
In June 2024, HSI agents executed search warrants on two residences associated with Eager in Kearny, New Jersey, and seized over 360 grams of powdered fentanyl, counterfeit M30 pills, drug ledgers, cellular phones, two computers, and drug packaging consistent with three deliveries that were sent to Oregon.
On September 4, 2024, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a four-count indictment charging Eager with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and distribution of fentanyl.
On February 4, 2026, Eager pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl.
HSI Portland and HSI Houston investigated this case with assistance from HSI Newark, the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) and the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Interdiction Task Force (HIT). Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Kerin prosecuted the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in New Jersey assisted the U.S. Attorney’s in Oregon in obtaining the search warrants that were executed in Kearny.
Oregon
4 Takeaways From Oregon State Baseball’s Run At The Eugene Regional
Oregon State’s season came to an end in Eugene on Sunday evening, after a rocky 7th inning doomed them against the 11th-ranked Oregon Ducks. The Beavers put up a valiant effort to try and fight their way back from the loser’s bracket, but they couldn’t accomplish this incredible feat that they pulled off in 2025.
A Bad Start Changed Everything
Winning the first game of a regional is almost a must if you want to advance, and this is where things started to go south.
After a nearly two-week layoff (since they didn’t have a conference tournament), OSU’s bats were rusty against a very solid left-hander in WSU’s Nick Lewis. Though the Beavers were able to put up a run early on, Lewis rolled with the punches and ended up throwing a complete game against the country’s seventh-ranked team. Though their bats came to life the next day, the uphill climb proved to be too much.
Pitching Wasn’t the Issue
Oregon State came into this tournament with the nation’s best ERA, and their starting rotation was exactly as advertised.
After a good outing from Kleinschmit on Friday afternoon, Eric Segura threw a 6.2 inning gem in an elimination game against Yale. True freshman Trey Morris threw 117 pitches in the rout of WSU early Saturday, and Wyatt Queen was excellent against the Ducks off of short rest later that evening.
The Power Just Wasn’t There
In today’s era of baseball where starting pitchers are so talented, it’s crucial to have guys that can get you runs with just one swing of the bat, especially when the man on the hill is striking a lot of people out.
Throughout the entirety of this season, the Beavers have not been a club that hits for much power, and this makes things difficult in the postseason. In four games across the Eugene regional, Oregon State didn’t hit a single ball out of the park. In 2026 they only hit a total of 55 homers, a stark contrast from the 107 of 2025’s Omaha year.
They Ran into a Good Team With a Deep Pitching Staff
In Mark Wasikowski’s tenure with the Ducks, his team’s pitching has often been a crutch that holds them back from big postseason runs. This certainly doesn’t seem to be the case this year.
Throughout the regional that they hosted, Oregon starters looked nearly untouchable. Will Sanford struck out 14 batters and didn’t allow a run against Washington State. Yesterday against the Beavers, left-hander Miles Gosztola was phenomenal, bouncing back after allowing a run in the second inning. The Ducks also have great relievers in guys like Tanner Bradley and Devin Bell. With a lot of reliable arms to go to, it would’ve been difficult to beat Oregon twice.
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Oregon
FBI Special Agent Bobby Gutierrez named Freedom 250 Hometown Hero in Oregon
PORTLAND, OR — A federal task force targeting fentanyl dealers in downtown Portland has led to nearly 100 federal charges over the past two years, and one of the leaders behind that effort is now being recognized with a national honor.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon announced FBI Special Agent Bobby Gutierrez as the Freedom 250 Hometown Hero, an award that honors individuals whose courage, generosity and public service reflect the ideals of liberty and civic responsibility.
The Freedom 250 initiative was created to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States and recognizes Americans who make lasting contributions to their local communities.
Gutierrez was selected as the District of Oregon’s Hometown Hero for his leadership, collaboration and dedication to joint downtown fentanyl enforcement missions. For the past two years, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, working with the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations and the Portland Police Bureau, has targeted fentanyl dealers in Portland.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Gutierrez has helped coordinate dozens of investigations focused on fentanyl distributors in downtown Portland. Through those efforts, nearly 100 fentanyl distributors have been federally charged.
“As we celebrate America’s 250th birthday, I am honored to present Special Agent Gutierrez as Oregon’s Hometown Hero. Special Agent Gutierrez’s dedication, selfless service, and unwavering commitment have made a lasting impact on the safety and well-being of our community,” U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford said.
“Two years ago, Portland had notorious open-air drug markets, rising crime, and frequent overdoses. Thanks to Special Agent Gutierrez’s efforts, dedication, and coordination with local, county, and state partners, we are reducing fentanyl trafficking, violent crime, and overdoses downtown,” Bradford said.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office said Gutierrez has been a “tireless investigator and steadfast partner” in efforts to restore downtown Portland to a safe and vibrant community.
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