The Oregon Department of Justice (DOJ) and Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office announced today the sentencing of former Alberta Main Street (AMS) board chair and president, Devon T. Horace, for theft and falsifying business records in connection with the misuse of charitable assets belonging to the now-dissolved nonprofit.
“Nonprofits play an important role in our communities, and people need to know their donations are being used the way they intended,” said Attorney General Rayfield. “In this case, someone abused that trust, and it hurt an entire neighborhood. We’ll continue working with local partners to make sure charitable dollars are protected and that there’s accountability when they’re not.”
“I’m proud of the work our office did to prosecute Mr. Horace,” said Multnomah County District Attorney Nathan Vasquez. “As the President of a non-profit dedicated to revitalizing part of Portland, Mr. Horace had a sacred responsibility to do his very best for both his organization and the community. By stealing more than $100-thousand dollars, he violated that responsibility and hurt the community he was supposed to serve. Our community deserves strong leaders who care about the people they are trying to help. Mr. Horace proved he had neither of those qualities.”
Horace pleaded no contest to one count of Theft in the First Degree and one count of Falsifying Business Records. Angela F. Lucero of the Multnomah County Circuit Court sentenced Horace to 12 months of formal probation. As part of a plea agreement, Horace paid $85,080.95 in restitution and completed 240 hours of community service.
The DOJ’s Charitable Activities Section worked closely with the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office to investigate the theft of charitable funds. DOJ Charitable Activities Section Investigator Frank Najar conducted substantial investigative work supporting the prosecution.
Between July 2021 and January 2023, Horace served as president of Alberta Main Street, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating in Northeast Portland’s Alberta Street neighborhood. The organization’s mission was to advance efforts to develop Alberta Street as a vibrant, creative, and sustainable commercial district serving residents and visitors.
According to court records, Horace withdrew at least $100,000 from AMS through multiple fraud schemes over an 18-month period while acting in a fiduciary role. The schemes included:
- Soliciting donations in bad faith: Horace secured $50,000 in donations from his former employer, Nike, Inc., and $5,000 from the Portland Trail Blazers. He concealed those deposits from the organization and withdrew the funds the same day they arrived, paying himself directly in four transactions totaling $85,000.
- False statements to board members: Horace falsely informed the board that a $7,000 deduction from AMS’s account was related to repayment of a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan. In fact, the loan had been fully forgiven, and the withdrawal was for his personal use.
- Misappropriation of restricted funds: Bank records confirmed multiple unauthorized cash withdrawals ranging from $3,000 to $7,000 with no legitimate business purpose.
- Falsified bank documents: Horace provided altered bank statements to the organization’s treasurer, removing deposits and disbursements so that internal accounting records would match falsified documents.
The misconduct came to light after a mass departure of board members in early 2023 left only two members to wind down the organization’s affairs. A subsequent financial reconciliation revealed significant discrepancies, leading to the investigation.
Restitution was paid to the Northeast Coalition of Neighborhoods, consistent with AMS’s request at the time of its dissolution.
