Mt. Angel man gets 2 years probation for stealing $60k from nonprofit

Statesman Journal

A Mt. Angel man was sentenced Tuesday to two years probation for stealing more than $60,000 from an area nonprofit.

James Byron Hall Jr., 64, was arrested on two counts of first-degree aggravated theft and two counts of first-degree theft in August.

He was convicted of two felony counts of first-degree aggravated theft and sentenced by Marion County Judge Lindsay Partridge.

Hall, a longtime community fixture, was accused of stealing from the Mt. Angel Community Foundation. The local nonprofit raises funds for the public library, scholarships for graduating seniors and Mount Angel's famous glockenspiel.

According to a Woodburn Independent article, Hall served as the nonprofit's treasurer since its creation in 1995. He was awarded the Mount Angel Chamber of Commerce First Citizen Award in 2014 for his community volunteer work.

► PREVIOUSLY:Mount Angel man accused of stealing $58,000 from nonprofit

The Oregon Board of Accountancy website lists Hall as a certified public accountant licensed since 1984. No disciplinary actions are listed in his file, and his license expires in June.

According to court records, the Oregon Department of Justice began investigating Hall in 2017 and that the thefts took place over several years.

Hall's attorney Paul Ferder filed a motion for dismissal in December after Hall agreed to a civil compromise with Mt. Angel Community Foundation President Lori Pavlicek. According to the agreement, Hall reimbursed the foundation $62,000 in damages.

Ferder said Hall "immediately acknowledged his wrongdoing" and returned the property taken from the nonprofit.

Crimes punishable as misdemeanors are sometimes able to be resolved civilly instead of in criminal court.

However, Partridge denied the motion for dismissal on Dec. 18 and sentenced Hall Tuesday.

As part of the terms of his bench probation, Hall is barred from working or acting in any fiduciary capacity for nonprofits and charities.

For questions, comments and news tips, email reporter Whitney Woodworth at wmwoodwort@statesmanjournal.com, call 503-399-6884 or follow on Twitter @wmwoodworth

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