On April 10, Wasco County Circuit Court Judge Marion T. Weatherford sentenced Tara Koch, above, to four years in prison for embezzling more than $179,000 from Haven from Domestic and Sexual Violence while she was the nonprofit’s executive director. Koch was arrested in 2021 and posted bail of $25,000.
On April 10, Wasco County Circuit Court Judge Marion T. Weatherford sentenced Tara Koch, above, to four years in prison for embezzling more than $179,000 from Haven from Domestic and Sexual Violence while she was the nonprofit’s executive director. Koch was arrested in 2021 and posted bail of $25,000.
THE DALLES — On April 10, Wasco County Circuit Court Judge Marion T. Weatherford sentenced Tara Koch to four years in prison for embezzling more than $179,000 from Haven from Domestic and Sexual Violence while she was the nonprofit’s executive director. Koch was arrested in 2021 and posted bail of $25,000.
Officials became aware of possible financial improprieties when the Oregon Department of Revenue (ODOR) and U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) sent a letter to board member Leslie Wolf, stating that Haven had failed to pay taxes for several years. Including penalties and interest, Haven owed ODOR and the IRS over $300,000. In that letter, Wolf was made aware that she was also personally liable for the amount owed.
Judge Marion T. Weatherford
Noah Noteboom photo
According to the prosecution’s memorandum, Koch presented tax forms to Wolf that seemed to be legitimate, and in an effort to cover up her spending, Koch would forge Wolf’s signature on Haven’s checks and tax documents. During interviews with board members and employees, the prosecution team learned that, when questioned about financial information, Koch would attempt to avoid or redirect the conversation.
Thursday’s six-hour sentencing began with a presentation from Oregon Department of Justice Special Agent Jerry Gorman, who detailed his work connecting Koch’s multiple spending sprees between 2017 and 2021. He obtained financial records for purchases made by Haven’s company accounts and Koch’s personal accounts. Dots continued to connect when Koch listed her home for sale. During a virtual tour of Koch’s home listed on Zillow, Gorman matched several Amazon purchases made with the Haven company card to items found inside the residence, including bathroom lighting fixtures, kitchen cutlery, outdoor furniture and a Lightning McQueen toy box. Gorman presented evidence that Koch also used Haven funds to pay personal utility bills, her mortgage, property taxes, winery tabs, airfare and home renovations, according to court documents.
In 2019, as the state conducted an audit on Haven, Koch halted her embezzlement scheme, only to resume upon completion of the audit. Her reign lasted approximately two more years before the letter from ODOR and the IRS arrived in August 2021.
State of Oregon attorney Tobias Tingleaf
Noah Noteboom photo
The Haven board placed Koch on paid leave on Sept. 2, 2021. One week later, Koch took a vacation to Camano Island, Washington.
She resigned from Haven on Sept. 28, 2021 and soon after was able to get a job with a Portland-area nonprofit. After she was arrested and in jail, she told her new employer that she was in the emergency room with heart palpations.
Public statements were given on April 10 from several people on both sides of the case. Former Haven board members and employees gave their testimony to working with Koch, some stating she had cultivated a hostile work environment.
Friends and family spoke about Koch’s work with Haven and her determination to secure grant funding and develop more programming within the organization.
Koch was represented by Pendleton attorney Jody Vaughn. The State of Oregon prosecuted the case and was led by attorney Tobias Tingleaf and assistant attorney general Dan Wendel.
Judge Weatherford said he was initially prepared to accept the prosecution’s recommendation of 8 years in prison, but after hearing from Vaughn and Koch’s friends and family he gave her a “soft landing.”
Sentencing was delayed for several years due to a lack of public defenders willing to take Koch’s case, the amount of evidence needed for review and a snowstorm in January. Following two judicial settlement conferences, the two parties failed to reach a settlement, but court documents said that it “laid the groundwork” for Koch to plead guilty to several counts of theft and aggravated theft in October.
Weatherford also sentenced her to 24 months of supervised release following her prison sentence. Vaughn requested that Koch be given two weeks before reporting to NORCOR in order to help her 89-year-old mom get to doctor’s appointments. Despite the prosecution objecting, Judge Weatherford granted her request.
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