In a case that seems torn from the pages of a political thriller, former Clackamas County Commissioner Melissa Fireside is now the subject of a multi-agency manhunt after allegedly fleeing the country while facing serious felony charges — including aggravated theft, forgery, and computer crimes.
The charges stem from a deeply personal and disturbing allegation: that Fireside stole $30,000 from her mother’s elderly boyfriend, a man currently residing in an assisted living facility. According to prosecutors, Fireside used a visit to the facility to gain access to the man’s banking information, allegedly coaching him through a reset of his online account credentials. What followed, they claim, was a calculated withdrawal of nearly $30,000 — the bulk of which was reportedly used to repay a personal loan from a state representative.
The remaining $1,000, investigators say, went directly into Fireside’s own account.
The red flags were first raised not by investigators, but by the victim’s daughter, who noticed strange banking activity and contacted the credit union. That alert kicked off the official inquiry, which has since snowballed into a high-profile legal saga — and now, a suspected international flight.
As of late October, Oregon’s Department of Justice confirmed that Fireside had possibly skipped town, filing a motion to revoke her conditional release. A court filing included a chilling claim from the father of Fireside’s 9-year-old son: that the child had been withdrawn from school and his mother had “apparently fled the country.”
The situation escalated quickly. According to DOJ investigators, Fireside may have used a false identity to cross into Mexico — and just days ago, she reportedly booked a flight from Mexico to Amsterdam, suggesting a calculated effort to vanish before her scheduled December 2 trial.
“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,” said Attorney General Dan Rayfield. “No one should be able to evade justice by crossing a border.”
The allegations mark a shocking fall from grace for a former elected official once trusted with representing Oregon constituents. Fireside’s attorney, Shannon Kmetic, has declined to comment.
But beyond the legal ramifications lies a deeper public trust issue. Fireside isn’t just accused of financial exploitation — she’s now suspected of fleeing justice with a child in tow, all while under strict conditions that barred her from leaving the state. Her actions, if proven true, not only betray a vulnerable elderly victim but violate the integrity of the office she once held.
