HILLSBORO, Ore.- On October 7, 2019, Brett Joseph McQuiston pleaded guilty to first-degree burglary and first-degree aggravated theft and was sentenced to five years in prison by Judge Janelle Wipper. Deputy District Attorney Katherine Glasson prosecuted the case against Mr. McQuiston.

Beaverton Police began an investigation after a series of burglaries targeting BottleDrop locations across Washington County. The first burglary took place in April of 2019. In this instance, Mr. McQuiston wore a mask and used a crowbar to commit the theft from a BottleDrop location in Beaverton. This act was captured by video surveillance cameras.

In June of 2019, Mr. McQuiston targeted a BottleDrop location in Tigard, again using a crowbar and mask to commit the burglary. This burglary was also captured on camera.

In September of 2019, Mr. McQuiston attempted to burglarize the Beaverton BottleDrop location for a second time using similar methods. This time Beaverton Police spotted him in the act, and he was apprehended after a short foot pursuit.

When questioned by detectives, Mr. McQuiston admitted to all the burglaries and said he committed the acts to fuel a gambling addiction. He also told investigators that he committed similar burglaries at BottleDrop locations in other Oregon counties. Additional charges could be brought as a result of those investigations. Video and enhanced surveillance captured detailed evidence of all his burglaries. Mr. McQuiston told investigators that he used a portion of the stolen funds to purchase a new vehicle. That vehicle was found at the scene of the Beaverton location and seized as evidence.

The Washington County District Attorney’s Office would like to acknowledge the investigative work of Beaverton Police Detective Patrick Antoine. This office would also like to commend the corporate investigator with the Oregon Beverage Recycling Cooperative for his assistance on this case.

Mr. McQuiston has been transferred to the Oregon Department of Corrections to begin serving his sentence.