Elected through Terror

Untitled Part 52

Over 20 Rajneehees were indicted with varying State and/or Federal crimes.

The charges ranged from the Federal charges of electronic eavesdropping and immigration violations, to the State charges of the poisoning, arson, violations of election laws, conspiracy to commit murder, attempted murder to name just a few.

Fortunately, with the exception of two followers, the suspects were charged with both Federal and State charges. The Federal government took 'possession' and the related costs of those suspects.

However, the two that had only State charges became the responsibility of the Wasco County Sheriff's Office (WCSO.)

That was a problem for us. We did not have space for them. We had to farm them out. The adjoining county of Hood River could hold only one of them. Multnomah County was able to hold the other one. Actually they could have held both, but their daily costs of housing a prisoner was twice what Hood River's cost were so I housed one in each facility.

In order to accommodate the attorney's we would 'rotate' the prisoners. They would usually appear in Multnomah County, for court at the same time.

At the request of one attorney (the other was acceptable to it) the prisoner that was in Hood River County would then be switched for the prisoner in Multnomah County facilitating meetings with their respective attorneys to make it less time consuming – and less cost to the County.

Within a few months both prisoners pled guilty and were sentenced by the court. The State Corrections Division then took charge of them.

The incarceration of the two cost Wasco County over $25,000. It had to be removed from the Contingency funds of the County Budget. It was part of funds set aside for overruns the county departments might have, but it dug into the reserves of the county.

The Rajneesh were still causing us financial losses.

HOWEVER, there was an unexpected 'windfall' a year or two later.

The Rajneesh had a hotel in Portland. It would house followers going to and coming back from the ranch while they waited for transportation. It also housed those followers who had business to take care of in Portland.

This was the visible property they had, they also had houses in Portland where they could go, unobserved and used them to help conceal their identities and plan nefarious deeds against some of the Federal and other officials.

I don't remember when or why, but the State of Oregon seized the hotel. They then put it up for sale.

Multnomah County purchased the property. They would be using it as a halfway house in dealing with inmates.

The AG's Office contacted me and asked how much the county had to pay for the lodgings of the two followers while they were in WCSO custody – I gave them the costs. The State then reimbursed Wasco County for those expenses.

They didn't have to do that, but it was very much appreciated by all of us in the County.

The one added irony, one which I always chuckle over, was that Multnomah County paid our costs of housing the prisoner(s) in Multnomah County's jail, back to us with the purchase of the hotel.