A Damascus woman is facing federal charges after being accused of executing a fraudulent scheme using Oregon's circuit courts. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Sharon Neal was indicted for filing twenty fraudulent small claims and garnishing at least $190,000 from unsuspecting victims. Neal was arraigned this Monday on five counts of mail fraud, following her indictment.
The indictment details how Neal, from August 2018 to November 2022, allegedly created fictitious companies and filed fraudulent claims against real businesses. She concocted allegations that these companies provided subpar products or failed to deliver services they had never actually agreed to provide. Then, exploiting the court system, Neal filed forged certificates of service and sent empty envelopes instead of the actual claims, which left the victims unaware and unable to defend themselves.
As a result of this deception, many victims failed to appear in court, allowing Neal to obtain default judgments in her favor. "Neal would then provide the writ of garnishment to a victim’s bank and receive a check for the judgment amount," stated the Department of Justice. Victims became aware of the debacle only after their bank accounts were garnished.
Neal pleaded not guilty at her first court appearance and has been released pending a jury trial set for February 18, 2025. Being convicted of the charges, Neal faces a maximum sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison, along with three years of supervised release, and a potential fine of $250,000. This case, brought to light by the FBI, is now being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew T. Ho for the District of Oregon.
