Clackamas County Sheriff's Detectives Arrest Molalla City Council Member for Aggravated Theft

Photo: Clackamas County Sheriff's Office

(MOLALLA, Ore.) - Clackamas County Sheriff's Office Detectives concluded an extensive criminal investigation by interviewing and arresting an appointed Molalla City Council member for a total of thirty-two (32) counts of aggravated theft.

The Clackamas County Sheriff's Office had been requested by Molalla Police Department officials to investigate allegations of theft concerning a currently appointed Molalla City Council member. This City Council member is identified as Michelle Rene Mills, 35, of Molalla.

Investigators soon learned that Michelle Mills was a supervising employee of an electronics company in Molalla, doing business as Abtronics. It is also reported, this company first detected financial irregularities believed to involve Michelle Mills, and first confronted Michelle Mills about these discrepancies in October, 2009.

As a result, Abtronics launched a thorough financial audit surrounding this suspected embezzlement involving Mills and reported the resulting allegations and investigative financial findings to the Molalla Police Department.

Responsibly, the Molalla Police Department administrators requested the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office investigate these reported allegations concerning Michelle Mills; an appointed Molalla City Council member. By requesting the Sheriff's Office assume responsibility of conducting the investigation surrounding these criminal allegations would help to insure the integrity and public scrutiny of this type of criminal investigation concerning a prominent Molalla official.

Michelle Mills attended Molalla High School in the early 1990's and lives in Molalla with her four children. She is the current president of the Molalla Buckeroo Association, and currently serving as an appointed Molalla City Council member. She had also been a member of the Molalla Planning Commission since 2004.

Michelle Mills was previously employed as a general manager of Abtronics, a local electronic components distributor located in Molalla. Clackamas County Sheriff's Office Detectives report Mills is suspected of embezzling at least $350,000 from the Abtronics Company, between 2006 and 2009.

Consequently, Michelle Mills was arrested today by Clackamas County Sheriff's Detectives and lodged in the Clackamas County Jail with 32-counts of aggravated theft in the first-degree; and one additional charge of theft-one.

Bail is set at $815,000.

Arraignment on these matters is scheduled for Monday, November 22, 2010 at 3:00 p.m. in Clackamas County Circuit Court.

Source: Clackamas County Sheriff's Office