HILLSBORO, Ore.- On April 8, 2020, Benjamin Hunter Garland pleaded guilty to unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, fraudulent use of a credit card and second-degree theft. Additionally, his probation was revoked on charges of unlawful use of a weapon, attempted coercion, fourth-degree assault and obliteration or change of a firearm identification number. Mr. Garland was then sentenced to three years in prison by Judge Rebecca Guptill. Senior Deputy District Attorney Gina Skinner prosecuted the defendant.

This plea agreement marks the closure of three separate cases pending against the defendant.

Unauthorized use of a motor vehicle:

On December 23, 2019, Washington County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to a rural area of North Plains, Oregon on a report of a missing woman. During that search, they spotted a pickup truck parked on a nearby property. A witness then told deputies that Mr. Garland moved the truck out of sight as deputies arrived. Deputies confirmed the truck was reported stolen. Mr. Garland admitted that he stole the truck several days earlier.

Fraudulent use of a credit card:

On December 17, 2019, Mr. Garland used a cell phone which didn’t belong to him to access a popular ride sharing application. He then used the phone to pay for the ride. As this was happening, the true owner of the phone received a notification alerting him to the unexpected charge. The owner had recently moved out of state and accidentally left his phone behind.

The owner contacted the driver, who then confronted Mr. Garland. Mr. Garland fled the car on foot but was arrested a short time later by deputies with the Washington County Sheriff’s Office.

Second-degree theft:

On October 29, 2019, Mr. Garland entered a store in Hillsboro, Oregon and spent at least three hours filling a grocery cart with various items. He then left the store without paying for a single item. A loss prevention officer confronted Mr. Garland who fled the area on foot while wearing a stolen jacket. The stolen merchandise had an estimated value of $700. This was all captured on video surveillance.

Officers with the Hillsboro Police Department eventually tracked down Mr. Garland and made the arrest.

The Washington County District Attorney’s Office would like to acknowledge the work of the Washington County Sheriff’s Office and the Hillsboro Police Department on these cases.

In addition to his prison sentence, Mr. Garland was also ordered to serve two years of post-prison supervision after he is released. He will be transferred to the Oregon Department of Corrections to begin serving his sentence.