Sheriff's Office Counselor Accused Of Inmate Identity Theft

PORTLAND, OR — A Multnomah County Sheriff's Office release counselor was arrested, booked, and released Tuesday for allegedly stealing and fraudulently using the identities of individuals in the Multnomah County criminal justice system.

Bryce James Merrill, 38, faces five counts of felony identity theft and one count of official misconduct for using the identities of two men who make frequent visits to the Multnomah County Jail — one of whom is currently in custody for a probation violation stemming from a charge of failing to perform the duties of a driver. The other man is a serial drunk driver.

Officially, Merrill was arrested for allegedly forging internal sheriff's office documents, police said, though no specifics are available as of yet.

Merrill has reportedly been placed on unpaid administrative leave while the sheriff's office conducts an internal administrative review.

This post will be updated when more information is released.

Bryce Merrill booking photo via Multnomah County Sheriff's Office