Former Portland Lawyer Lori Deveny Indicted in Multnomah County on 92 Counts for Stealing from Clients

Indictment on state charges of theft, identity theft, forgery and criminal mistreatment follow earlier federal charges.

Lori and Bob Deveny.

Troubles are mounting for the former Portland lawyer Lori Deveny.

Deveny was indicted May 23 in Multnomah County Circuit Court on 92 counts of theft, aggravated theft, identity theft, forgery and criminal mistreatment. She pleaded not guilty to all counts.

The indictment in state court follows a federal indictment earlier this month.

Earlier this year, WW reported in a cover story that over the past decade, Deveny had allegedly stolen from a couple of dozen former clients, many of whom suffered traumatic brain injuries or other significant disabilities.

Related: For Decades, Clients Trusted a Portland Lawyer to Get Compensation for Their Injuries. It Turns Out She Kept Much of Their Money.

After Deveny's clients began contacting the Oregon State Bar with questions and complaints last year, Deveny surrendered her license to practice law. That marked the end to a nearly three-decade long career as a personal injury lawyer, during which time Deveny rose the presidency of Oregon Women Lawyers, a group that includes the state's leading female lawyers.

Kateri Walsh, a bar spokeswoman, says the bar is still sorting through Deveny's files.

"We believe there may still be clients we have been unable to reach," Walsh said in an email. "If anyone is looking for a client file or has other questions please contact the OSB at 503-620-0222."

But resigning from the practice of law didn't begin to solve Deveny's problems.

One of her former clients, a young man who'd previously alleged that he'd been sexually assaulted in 2013 by the prominent Portland real estate developer and LGTBQ rights leader Terry Bean when the young man was 15, said that Deveny had pocketed $200,000 Bean had agreed to pay the young man as a settlement.

As a result part of the investigation of Deveny's alleged theft from the young man and other clients, the Lane County District Attorney's office re-filed charges against Bean related to the alleged 2013 sexual assault. That criminal case is pending as are a number of related civil cases.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Attorney for Oregon, Billy Williams, indicted Deveny earlier this month on federal charges related to her alleged theft from clients.

Deveny pleaded not guilty to those charges and was released on her own recognizance—although not before her attorney and a prosecutor briefly sparred over whether Deveny could sell a dozen guns and numerous hunting trophies, including the taxidermied heads a giraffe, zebra, lion and numerous other exotic animals. (The judge allowed Deveny to sell but required her to keep records of the sales.)

Deveny's attorney, Wayne Mackeson, was not immediately available for comment.

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