A former lawmaker has reportedly become an international fugitive after fleeing the country. She was facing an upcoming trial for allegedly scamming an elderly man. However, once released from jail, authorities believe she fled.
Videos by Suggest
44-year-old Melissa Fireside is missing. Authorities believe that she and her nine-year-old son have crossed the border into Mexico. Her ex first raised concern after the former lawmaker took her son out of school last week without permission.
According to The Oregonian, Oregon Department of Justice officials investigated the matter. They found that Fireside no longer lived at the address she had given. Fireside was facing an upcoming trial for allegedly scamming her mother’s 83-year-old boyfriend. She’s accused of stealing $30,000 from the man.
Former Lawmaker Faces Trial
Police believe that Fireside may have fled to Europe. She also reportedly had a flight out of Mexico for the Netherlands a day after she entered Mexico. She also has an Austrian passport as well. It allows her to move freely in the European Union.
“Our top concern right now is the safety and well-being of this child,” Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield also said in a statement. “We are working closely with law enforcement partners here and at the federal level to locate Ms. Fireside and ensure she is held accountable under Oregon law. No one should be able to evade justice by crossing a border.”
The lawmaker resigned from her role as Clackamas County commissioner due to the scandal. She was facing first-degree fraud charges.
She’s accused of pretending to be Arthur W. Petrone to get a $21,000 bank loan and $9,000 credit card advance. His daughter, Lynn Roberts, learned about the debt and contacted the police.
“Petrone said he was confused and did not know what was going on,” the filing says.
Investigators discovered that Fireside allegedly created an email in his name to try to take out the loan. Allegedly, the lawmaker also used the cash to repay a loan to Oregon State Representative April Dobson.
For her part, Dobson lent the money to Fireside the money as a “temporary relief for her personal business.” Dobson wasn’t aware that Fireside then used the scammed money to pay her back for the loan.