Portland Oregon Police Department

Deputies: Fake doctor linked to other schemes

A Portland man currently in jail for allegedly impersonating a doctor at Oregon Health and Science University is also being investigated for fraud and identity theft, deputies say.

The Washington County Fraud and Identity Theft Enforcement Team has been looking into Lucas Ebert's actions since April, according to investigators.

Detectives believe Ebert has ripped off several victims in Oregon and southwest Washington to the tune of more than $100,000 using a variety of schemes.

In a press release issued Tuesday evening by the Washington County Sheriff's Office, deputies outlined several of Ebert's alleged schemes. 

Investigators believe the 21-year-old would offer to rebuild people's credit by taking control of their finances. 

He would then inflate their accounts with bogus checks that would bounce, leaving his victims with debt, the release stated.

Ebert would also take loans in the victims' names, deputies said.

Investigators say the alleged con-man bought expensive cars with bogus personal checks and of the forged checks from others.

Ebert is accused of selling services under his bogus business, Elite Computers, and walking away with the cash without delivering what the customers paid for.

Ebert would also get victims to pay for his long stays at expensive hotels, detectives said.

The press release states that reports have been filed on cases with the Washington County Sheriff's Office; the Beaverton, Hillsboro, and Corvallis police departments;  the Portland Police Bureau; the Oregon Department of Justice; the Vancouver Police Department and the Pacific County Sheriff's Office in Washington.

Anyone with information on Lucas Ebert's activities or any potential victims are urged to contact Washington County's Fraud and Identity Theft Enforcement Team.

Q&A: Feds Investigating Portland Police Department · OPB News

Beth Hyams: The U.S. Justice Department announced Wednesday , that it's going to look into whether there's a 'pattern or practice' of civil rights violations among Portland's police officers.

The announcement comes after a year and a half of preliminary investigation. Kristian Foden-Vencil is reporting on this Wednesday.

Beth Hyams: So first, can you give us a little information on what brought us to this situation?

Kristian Foden-Vencil: Absolutely. Over the last few years, there have been several high-profile police shootings -- of unarmed African-Americans, some in cars, and mentally ill people - at least one of whom was armed with a knife.

Anyway, anger at police shootings peaked last year when Aaron Campbell was shot. You may remember, he was distraught over the loss of his brother. Someone called the police to check on his welfare. He came out of an apartment with his hands up and no gun. But he was shot in the back when an officer thought he was going for a weapon in his waistband.

Anyway, that case brought the Reverend Jesse Jackson to Portland. He called for a civil rights investigation -- as did the mayor and the police commissioner at the time, Dan Saltzman.

Beth Hyams: So, they started an investigation back then. What became of that? And how's this new one different?

Kristian Foden-Vencil: Good question. The short answer is: it was a preliminary investigation and now they're going to do a full investigation.

But that first investigation did lead to the feds deciding against criminally prosecuting any officers involved in the Aaron Campbell shooting. But the officer who pulled the trigger was fired.

The Campbell family attorney, Tom Steenson, is welcoming the full investigation -- saying Portland has been unwilling to discipline officers who use excessive force. He says that's led to a pattern and practice of using more force than is necessary. Here he was today on the courthouse steps.

Tom Steenson: "That policy and practice of not holding officers accountable, who not every time, but who sometimes use inappropriate force, and are not disciplined or terminated, leads to a culture where officers believe that they can act with impunity."

Beth Hyams: So, the Justice Department will investigate the Portland Police Bureau. What are they going to focus on?

Kristian Foden-Vencil: Well, it's interesting. If you or me were being investigated, we might not expect to be given pointers on how things are going and what they've found, right?

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