Idiot of the Week: Oregon man arrested in connection with theft of $300,000 in comic books

As a comic book collector, I find this sad and outrageous. Some collectors send their comic books to professional restorers (although I haven't), and one guy took a lot of valuable comics and destroyed or sold them. Fortunately, he was arrested. Here's the story.

Oregon man arrested in connection with theft of $300,000 in comic books

  Bill Poehler Salem Statesman Journal, August 22, 2024

An Aumsville man accused of selling $300,000 in comic books that he was being paid to restore was arrested on Wednesday on 12 charges of theft.

The 57-year-old man, Mike Dechellis,  owned a business called “Hero Restoration” in Lebanon, according to the Linn County Sheriff’s Office.

Customers from Colorado, Connecticut, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas and Washington had sent him comics to restore.

The Aumsville man filed with the Secretary of State’s Office to dissolve his business in 2023.

But Linn County investigators found that some of the comic books were sold online or to a private comic book dealer in Washington.

VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lH_21DUKqeM

Police were unable to locate the man for several months until they found him living in the 10000 block of Stayton Road in Aumsville.

When police arrested him on Wednesday, they also seized comic books and other evidence of theft.