Revelations About a Portland Police Snitch Lead to Drug Offenders Being Sprung From Prison

The release of prisoners is part of sweeping overhauls to the DA’s informant policy.

The Multnomah County District Attorney's Office has directed state corrections officials to release six drug offenders from prison, and free another 24 from parole, probation and post-prison supervision, following revelations about the Portland police informant who testified against them.

The release of prisoners is part of sweeping overhauls to the DA's informant policy after a WW story showed how a Portland Police Bureau snitch named George Taylor bought drugs undercover at the same time he worked for a Detroit crime syndicate scamming iPhones from Verizon, T-Mobile and AT&T stores in three states.

Earlier this year, District Attorney Rod Underhill's office dismissed eight pending drug cases in which Taylor served as an informant, and pledged to examine all cases in which he bought drugs.

Prosecutors tell WW they have found 57 total cases—39 of them resulting in convictions. Last month, the DA's office finished releasing prisoners and removing convicts from parole, and mailed Taylor's full criminal history to attorneys who represented all 57 defendants.

"None of the Taylor defendants are currently incarcerated or under any form of supervision," says senior deputy district attorney John Copic, who took over the drug unit in January. "No court ordered us to do anything, but under the circumstances, we felt it was the right thing to do."

For three years, Taylor, a career criminal who had spent more than 23 years in prison and sported white-pride tattoos, bought cocaine, meth and heroin undercover for Portland cops. At the same time, according court records and interviews with WW, Taylor worked for Detroit-based phone smugglers who flew him to Oklahoma City and Kansas City to buy iPhones in bulk for resale on the Asian black market.

Taylor's unmasking generated perhaps greater consequences than the misdeeds of any Portland police informant in decades.

This summer, after defense lawyers raised questions about Taylor, the DA's office began requiring Portland police to vet snitches with prosecutors before using them.

Following WW's story about Taylor's double life, prosecutors have begun preparing bios—including all criminal arrests and convictions—for every informant they use who might testify to grand juries or in court. They will now provide such information to defense lawyers along with initial police reports.

That's a dramatic change from how prosecutors handled Taylor's criminal background. Prosecutors are legally obligated to disclose what's called exculpatory information that could help the accused. But WW found four cases in which they didn't do so—and instead gave at least one defense lawyer the rap sheet of an entirely different person.

Graham Fisher, one of the defense lawyers who brought Taylor's behavior to light, says he remains skeptical.

"My greater concern is the culture that allowed this communication breakdown to happen 57 times," Fisher says. "Unless this is addressed, it seems likely that similar problems will continue to plague our system."

In August, Portland Police Chief Larry O'Dea launched an internal investigation into the handling of Taylor. "The investigation has not reached the chief's desk for resolution yet," says PPB spokesman Sgt. Pete Simpson.

Taylor, who pleaded no contest in August to beating his girlfriend and was sent back to state prison, is eligible for parole in May.

He's not the only one having trouble going straight. The DA's office says that since Taylor's double life as a police snitch was revealed, 22 of the 39 people convicted on his testimony have been arrested again—and seven have been convicted of delivering drugs.

And while prosecutors admit Taylor's work tainted their cases, all of those 39 offenders will still have the drug busts Taylor helped prosecutors win on their criminal records. Copic says none of the offenders released from jail has requested that his or her convictions be overturned.

"Our review of the files indicated that all 39 of the convictions should stand," Copic says. "We're still open to hearing from defendants and defense attorneys, if they feel they have an actual claim of innocence."

Fisher says the convictions and arrests made on Taylor's testimony should be sealed. "Nobody should be denied a job or housing because of these cases," he says.

CORRECTION: This story originally stated an incorrect date when George Taylor is eligible for parole.

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