3 Years Probation For Man Who Stole Dead Friend's Identity

PORTLAND, OR — When Michael Mahoney visited James Bland in November 2017, he found his friend dead on the floor of his bedroom. But Mahoney didn't call the police. He didn't call Bland's family, either. Instead, Mahoney took Bland's wallet from his body and went on to make several purchases with his debit and Oregon Trail food stamp cards.

On Tuesday, Mahoney pleaded guilty to one count of unlawfully using a food stamp benefit and one count of identity theft. A Multnomah County Circuit Court judge immediately sentenced Mahoney to 3 years probation as part of the Multnomah County Justice Reinvestment Program (MCJRP), which was established to reduce the number of people incarcerated in Multnomah County jails.

It's not entirely clear when Bland actually died of natural causes, but Mahoney reportedly admitted to finding him on Nov. 22. Police, however, were not notified of Bland's death until Dec. 5. And Bland's daughter, Hannah Bland, didn't learn of her father's death until she received a call from the medical examiner, according to Multnomah County District spokesman Brent Weisberg.

“When Mike found my dad on the floor in his room, he never called me to come help. Moreover, he didn’t even call the police to report his death,” Hannah Bland reportedly said in court. “Instead, he took the wallet off my dad’s body and proceeded to not only spend my dad’s money, but also used my dad’s food stamps.”

“The defendant’s actions were extremely hurtful and disrespectful to the victim’s family,” prosecuting Multnomah County Deputy District Attorney Sean Mazorol said in a statement. “Michael Mahoney almost got away with these crimes. We’re here today holding him responsible after members of Mr. Bland’s family discovered someone had used his debit and Oregon Trail cards after his death. These purchases occurred at Walmart, Plaid Pantry, Winco and Safeway.”

According to court documents obtained by Patch, shortly after Bland's death his family reported to police several unauthorized transactions made in his name. The purchases were recorded on Dec. 5, 6, 7, and 8. On Dec. 11, Mahoney tried to use Bland's Oregon Trail card at a Safeway but was declined, court documents show.

“The point I want to make is that my dad was more than just a victim…he was also a human being,” Hannah told the court. “I was not able to celebrate with my dad when I got into college or have him at my high school graduation … Even though my dad was an alcoholic, he was still a human being and deserved dignity in his last moments."

“We believe today’s sentence of 36 months of probation and restitution is appropriate in this matter,” Mazorol said. “The defendant put the Bland family through so much additional grief. We trust this sentence will allow him to get the alcohol and mental health services and treatment he needs.”

In addition to his 3 years probation, Mahoney was ordered to pay $156.17 to the Oregon Department of Human Services (DHS) and $367.45 to the Bland family.

Photos of James Bland courtesy of the Multnomah County District Attorney's Office, care of the Bland Family.