Grand jury indicts Cascade Relief Team founder over stolen donations
Bend, Ore. (KTVZ) — A Lincoln County grand jury has indicted Marcus Brooks, the founder and executive director of the Cascade Relief Team, on two counts of Aggravated Theft in the First Degree. State officials announced Wednesday that Brooks is accused of stealing charitable donations intended to help tornado victims rebuild.
The criminal indictment specifically focuses on a $326,000 grant provided by the American Red Cross to build tornado shelters for disaster survivors in Kentucky. Investigators allege Brooks used a substantial portion of those funds to settle past debts for his company rather than constructing shelters.
According to state investigators, the remaining funds from the American Red Cross grant were diverted to personal expenses. These included vehicle payments, travel and hotel stays unrelated to the Kentucky relief effort, direct payments to himself, ATM cash withdrawals largely at casinos and bank overdraft fees.
The criminal charges follow a lawsuit filed by the State of Oregon against Brooks in April. That suit alleges Brooks stole nearly $837,000 in charitable funds designated for fire, flood and tornado victims across Oregon and Kentucky. State attorneys claim Brooks routed donated funds and government grants through 26 bank accounts to cover personal expenses, including trips to casinos, strip clubs, a Disneyland vacation, personal bills and vehicles while disaster survivors waited for aid.
Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield denounced the alleged misuse of relief funds following the grand jury’s decision. “This man preyed on people at the worst moment of their lives,” Rayfield said. “He wore the badge of a disaster relief leader while gambling away the money meant to rebuild people’s homes and give them a new start. That’s a debt he’ll have to pay back in more ways than one.”
The civil lawsuit against Brooks remains pending. In the criminal case, Brooks is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
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