Plumber Scammed Elderly Woman, More Victims Feared, Sheriff Says

HILLSBORO, OR – Take a good look at the man in the picture. The Washington County Sheriff's Office says that he scammed an 88-year-old woman out of thousands of dollars.

They fear that there may be more victims.

Detectives from the office's Property Crimes Unit arrested 60-year-old Cris Brackens and charged him with multiple counts of theft and fraudulent use of a credit card.

Get all the latest information on what's happening in your community by signing up for Patch's newsletters and breaking news alerts

They had started investigating Brackens earlier this month after the state's Department of Human Services got a tip from a local credit union.

Detectives say that in early December Brackens was hired to complete plumbing repairs at the woman's home in Beaverton. As he was finishing the job, they say that Brackens suggested to the woman that there should be more work done and he'd be willing to do it off the books.

Brackens told the woman to write him personal checks for labor and materials and then convinced her to let him use her debit card, according to officials.

They say that in late December Brackens used the card to make 24 transactions for a total of more than $13,000 and cashed nine checks fore more than $4,500.

Detectives say that they believe that there may be more victims out there. They said that he was involved in a statewide plumbing scam in 2010 and had access to elderly clients.

They ask that anyone with information is asked to call detectives by calling (503) 846-2700.

Photo via Washington County Sheriff's Office.