News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Bend contractor T.M. Pete pleaded not guilty to five counts of aggravated theft, three counts of forgery and one count of first degree theft in a hearing on July 6 in Deschutes County Circuit Court.
Pete was indicted by a grand jury and arrested after an Oregon State Police investigation sparked by a complaint about Pete's business practices by Sisters resident Michael Hooey.
According to deputy District Attorney Patrick Flaherty, Pete's attorney had asked for the hearing to request a return of bail money. Pete's bail was $100,000. Pete posted a $10,000 bond immediately after his arrest. The judge denied the refund request.
Pete's attorney argued that the contractor is not a flight risk.
"His attorney said he is working every day," Flaherty said.
It was not clear whether she meant that Pete is working as a contractor or in some other capacity.
According to the state Construction Contractor's Board, Pete's contractor's bond was canceled as of May 7 and he is no longer licensed to work as a contractor in Oregon. CCB investigators were looking into whether Pete is working without a license. Investigator Richard Blank told The Nugget on Monday, July 10, that he had found no evidence that Pete is currently working as a general contractor.
After Pete entered his not guilty plea, a trial date was set for January 23, 2001. According to Flaherty, the long delay was caused in part by a heavy case load in the District Attorney's office.
The investigation sparked by Hooey's complaint turned up other alleged victims associated with the construction of new homes in "Phoenix Park," a northeast Bend subdivision.
According to Oregon State Police, victims paid cash to Pete for construction of their homes. They found out later that Pete had also taken out construction loans through a financial institution, with liens on the houses. When Pete defaulted, the home buyers were left on the hook.
In one of the cases, the 83-year-old victims paid $186,200 cash on the house, OSP reported. That couple lost their home.
Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.
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