Deschutes County, Ore. – A Deschutes County Circuit Court Jury returned verdicts of guilty against a former Sunriver Fire Department employee.
Jason Arnold, a former Firefighter/Paramedic and former President of the firefighters’ labor association illegally hacked into Sunriver Fire Department Chief Art Hatch’s confidential email account and accessed documents related to labor relation matters.
The jury convicted Arnold of 23 counts of misdemeanor computer crime. Arnold was acquitted of the charge of conspiracy, and the jury was hung on the charge of official misconduct in the first degree.
“Criminal acts committed by public employees will not be tolerated in Deschutes County,” said District Attorney John Hummel. “We expect our public employees to work hard for the taxpayers who pay their salary and to comport themselves with the highest ethical standards. If they fail to do so they will be held accountable.”
Hummel went on to say: “Arnold’s actions are an anomaly. The officers involved in the top notch investigation led by the Sunriver Police Department with the assistance of the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office and the Bend Police Department, are an accurate example of the exemplary public sector employees that well serve Deschutes County residents.”
