Kevin Dahlgren, a former homelessness consultant for the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office and a social media heavyweight, is facing a 19-count indictment that charges him with theft, identity theft and misconduct for crimes allegedly committed while working on homelessness issues for the city of Gresham.

Dahlgren, an already controversial figure because of his methods of intervening with homeless individuals, worked for Gresham as a homeless services specialist just months before he began exploring consulting services with the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office. 

The grand jury indictment in Multnomah County Circuit Court alleges Dahlgren, 53, misused his position as a city employee in 2020 and 2021, stole thousands in city funds and committed identity theft by misrepresenting himself to at least five people named in the document.

Detectives from the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office arrested Dahlgren Tuesday morning, the sheriff’s office said in a release. He was later released from the Multnomah County Detention Center on his own recognizance and he will be arraigned in court Wednesday morning. 

Deschutes County sheriff hired Portland homelessness consultant, Kevin Dahlgren, in July

Dahlgren and Deschutes County Sheriff Shane Nelson signed a contract in July that is worth more than $18,000, unbeknownst to some local leaders and the public 

The Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office said additional victims have been identified, but they haven’t been located.

Dahlgren could not immediately be reached for comment.

Dahlgren earned notoriety posting photos and videos of homeless individuals from across Oregon on X, formerly known as Twitter, and speaking about the “homeless industrial complex.” The homeless industrial complex hypothesizes that organizations working to address homelessness cash in on the issue more than they offer actual help. 

The city of Gresham discovered in March that Dahlgren had been engaging in “suspicious activity,” city spokesperson Sarah Cagann said in a statement. 

The city put Dahlgren on administrative leave and deferred to a third-party investigator, Cagann said. Dahlgren resigned shortly after, she said, and his conduct has been under investigation for the past six months. 

Dahlgren resigned from the city of Gresham on March 30, according to emails obtained by The Bulletin.

“I had already accepted a new job and planned to resign very soon. (Redacted) Since I am currently not at the city this feels like the right time,” Dahlgren wrote in the email detailing his resignation.

Soon after, Dahlgren began meeting with Deschutes County officials, which resulted in an $18,750 contract.

Agreement with Deschutes County sheriff

Dahlgren met with Deschutes County Commissioner Patti Adair as early as May 1, and his communications and meetings with Sheriff Shane Nelson date back to at least June 2, according to records obtained by The Bulletin.

Despite those early communications, Dahlgren’s contract with the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office didn’t officially begin until mid-July, records indicate.

 The contract was deemed “completed” on Aug. 23, per public records. That same day, The Bulletin had published a story publicly detailing Dahlgren’s hiring and work, which came as a surprise to many elected leaders and homelessness service providers. 

Also on Aug. 23, Multnomah County contacted the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office noting an active criminal investigation into Dahlgren, Sgt. Jason Wall, a sheriff’s office spokesperson, said in a statement.

“Mr. Dahlgren was contracted to conduct outreach and determine the potential impact of the current homeless on safety,” Wall said in the statement. 

Dahlgren’s agreement with Deschutes County makes no mention of safety.

His statement of work reads: “Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office is in need of information about the population and needs of the houseless population in the unincorporated area of Deschutes County as well as a comprehensive list of resources and services available through local governments, non-profit organizations and other service providers to meet the needs of those residents.”

The agreement, which The Bulletin obtained through a public records request, goes on to detail the sheriff’s office’s desire for Dahlgren to complete point-in-time counts, which determine how many people experience homelessness on a given night.

The document said Dahlgren had substantial experience that qualified him to consult with the county and complete his own point-in-time count. Official point-in-time counts are conducted nationwide and are reported  to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Central Oregon’s is completed near the end of January every year.

“There are several areas of the unincorporated county where the County is interested in PIT counts, needs assessments and resource availability,” the agreement read. 

Dahlgren performed his work between July and August. 

Concerns about work

Dahlgren previously told The Bulletin he wanted to “end homelessness in Deschutes County.” Through his work with the sheriff’s office, he mapped homeless individuals and their shelters throughout the county and created a report detailing his findings. He frequently communicated and met with  Nelson and Capt. William Bailey.

Service providers and elected leaders, who weren’t notified of Dahlgren’s work, criticized Dahlgren’s final report, saying it was inaccurate and that it risked undoing years of progress by local service providers.  

James Cook, a local advocate for homeless people, said both Dahlgren’s indictment and report made him question whether the sheriff’s office did its due diligence before spending public funds.

Dahlgren’s work in Deschutes County caused concern, he said, because of the negative sentiment it generated for service providers trying to address homelessness.

“What it amounts to, if someone is willing to advance their agenda on the backs of the people in our community who are the most in need, it’s hard know where the bottom is,” Cook said. 

The sheriff’s office didn’t respond to The Bulletin’s list of questions, including whether the office researched Dahlgren’s employment history prior to signing a contract with him. 

Deschutes County District Attorney Steve Gunnels said he wasn’t aware of any reports of potential criminal activity from Dahlgren in Deschutes County. He said he hadn’t heard anything from law enforcement and no reports had been referred to him. 

However, he said he expects law enforcement to look into Dahlgren following Tuesday’s indictment. 

Anyone who interacted with Dahlgren as an outreach worker is encouraged to contact Multnomah County Detective Dylan Lerch or the sheriff’s office tip line at 503-988-0560.