Sheriff calls for independent investigation after deputies accused of misconduct
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – The Multnomah County sheriff is calling for a professional standards investigation after the county's district attorney's office declined to criminally charge three Multnomah County corrections deputies on "egregious and unacceptable" misconduct allegations outlined by Oregon State Police.
In a statement released Tuesday afternoon, Multnomah County Sheriff Nicole Morrisey O'Donnell announced the launch of an independent investigation into the misconduct allegations against Mirzet Sacirovic, Jorge Troudt and Gustavo Valdovinos.
Authorities say the three men may have “aided or facilitated assaults, provided contraband and allowed access to computers and personal cell phones” to certain Hoover Gang inmates and allowed assaults to occur between 2018 and 2020.
The initial tip came from two defendants involved in a Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) case. The deputies – identified as Sacirovic, Troudt and Valdovinos – were placed on administrative leave on Sept. 21, 2022 when the investigation began.
Eight months later, Oregon State Police referred charges of official misconduct to the Multnomah County District Attorney's Office. However, the deputy district attorney declined to charge the deputies.
The deputy district attorney's memo to the DA can be read below:
On Nov. 14, 2023, the deputy district attorney told District Attorney Mike Schmidt they were “unable to prove beyond a reasonable doubt all elements of the alleged crimes.”
However, when the cases returned to the sheriff’s office for further consideration, Sheriff Morrisey O’Donnell decided to launch the investigation with a private investigator in February 2023.
“The alleged conduct outlined in the Oregon State Police investigative records is egregious and unacceptable. I will not tolerate conduct of this nature within our organization,” O’Donnell said in a statement. "I have initiated a professional standards investigation. To ensure there are no perceived conflicts of interest, and because an inquiry of this scope requires significant resources, I will be turning to an independent investigator to complete the professional standards investigations. It is important for the community to know the sheriff’s office has taken significant steps to ensure oversight in our jails in recent years.”
The following 143 report from Oregon State Police was released to the public "in the interest of transparency" by the sheriff's office:
Stay with KOIN 6 as this story develops.