MCMINNVILLE, Ore. (KOIN) – An officer assigned to the Newberg Police Department is charged with first-degree official misconduct.
Officials in Yamhill County confirmed Jeremy Fair was charged with one count of first-degree official misconduct because as a “public servant, (he) to wit: (a) Newberg-Dundee Police Officer, did unlawfully and knowingly perform an act, which act constituted an unauthorized exercise of his official duties, with intent to obtain a benefit.”
The alleged misconduct is said to have occurred between Jan. 1, 2016 and Feb. 1, 2016 in Yamhill County.
Attempts to reach the Newberg-Dundee Police Department and the Marion County District Attorney’s Office were unsuccessful. Although the case is being handled in Yamhill County, a deputy district attorney from Marion County has been assigned special prosecutor.
The case was filed June 9.
It remains unknown if the charges specifically pertain to an investigation into Jacque Betz, the former city manager for Newberg.
In August 2015, the Portland Tribune reported that a police supervisor for the Newberg-Dundee Police Department learned that “a disgruntled officer of the (NDPD) has been having an inappropriate personal relationship with the city manager of the city of Newberg.”
The police supervisor, made the conclusion from written statements provided by officers within the department who had direct conversations with the “disgruntled” officer, later identified as Officer Jeremy Fair, the paper reported.
Betz no longer works for the city. She had made allegations against Newberg-Dundee Police Chief Brian Casey including allegations of hostile work environment, verbal abuse, firearms qualifications deficiencies, excessive force, modification of use of force forms, modification of a shotgun for person use.
In Nov. 2015, the city found no misconduct by the police department or by Casey.
According to court records, Fair is scheduled for his arraignment on June 28 where he will take a plea deal and be sentenced upon his conviction.