PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Music memorabilia and guitars, originally thought to be the stolen autographed guitars from the Oregon Music Hall of Fame, were recovered from a residence in Fairview and a storage unit in Damascus.
However, the Hall of Fame has been unable to identify any of the stolen items as belonging to them, and their stolen items may still be outstanding.
The 3-week investigation led to the discovery on Tuesday. Initially, Portland police said the stolen Hall of Fame guitars were recovered, but officials later backtracked.
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Investigators with the Central Neighborhood Response Team developed a suspect and several spots they believed the stolen items were being stored. A search warrant for a Fairview residence and storage units in Gresham led police to find hundreds of stolen items on March 15.
Another 30 guitars and nearly two dozen items of memorabilia were found at a facility in Damascus. They included signed posters, photos, and album covers, which were believed to belong to the Oregon Music Hall of Fame.
Around 70 guitars autographed by George Clinton, Arlo Guthrie, The Monkees and Portland’s own Portugal. The Man, among other items, were stolen from an Oregon Music Hall of Fame storage locker on Feb. 20.
But the Hall of Fame has still yet to reclaim their stolen property from that robbery.
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The suspect is identified as 40-year-old Eric Michael Lamberton. He was lodged at the Multnomah County Detention Center for charges of first degree burglary and first degree aggravated theft, with additional charges expected as the investigation continues.
Court records show Lamberton has a criminal record dating back decades.