St. Vincent de Paul of Bend in ‘complete shock’ after leader arrested, accused of selling meth from Redmond home

(Update: More on court charges, reaction from board president)

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – St. Vincent de Paul of Bend Executive Director Gary Lee Hewitt was arrested Thursday and arraigned Friday on methamphetamine delivery and possession charges, accused of selling commercial amounts of the drug from his Redmond home, located within 1,000 feet of two schools.

The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office Street Crimes Unit concluded a short-term investigation with Thursday’s arrest of Hewitt, 58, of Redmond, Sergeant Jason Wall said.

Detectives learned Hewitt was selling commercial amounts of the drug from his home in southwest Redmond, Wall said, adding that they also learned of Hewitt's role as the executive director for St. Vincent De Paul of Bend, a nonprofit.

Detectives applied for and were granted a search warrant for Hewitt’s home. Assisted by detectives from the Central Oregon Drug Enforcement (CODE) Team and sheriff’s office patrol deputies, detectives executed the search warrant and found a commercial quantity of meth, along with scales, packaging material and US currency, Wall said.

Hewitt was booked into the county jail and arraigned Friday afternoon on one count of delivering meth within 1,000 feet of a school, a Class A felony, and one count of possessing "substantial quantities" of the drug, a Class C felony. He remained held on $250,000 bail Friday evening, jail records showed.

The district attorney's information filed by Deputy DA Andrew Doyle alleges the possession was a "commercial drug offense" because Hewitt had $300 or more in cash, materials used to package and sell drugs and controlled substances greater than eight grams or more.

The state also alleges in the meth delivery charge that it involved 100 grams or more of the drug, or what the prosecutor said could be called a "super-substantial quantity."

Circuit Judge Michelle McIver set Hewitt's bail at $250,000 but said he can request a reduction without a change in circumstance. She also listed several conditions if released, including no contact with any minors or frequenting where they congregate, with similar restrictions regarding controlled substances.

She scheduled Hewitt's return to court in a week for arraignment on an expected grand jury indictment.

Court records show Hewitt was charged in February and is scheduled to enter a plea on Sept. 3 to a Class A misdemeanor count of failure to report as a sex offender.

They also show that Hewitt was arrested in 2011 on 10 first-degree counts of encouraging child sexual abuse, pleaded guilty to two of the charges and given a 30-month state prison term, with 10 years’ post-prison supervision. He also entered an Alford (conditional guilty) plea in 2009 to meth possession and second-degree theft.

St. Vincent de Paul of Bend Board President Patty Christopher told NewsChannel 21 on Friday, "This news has come as a complete shock to members of our board and our organization as a whole." 

Declining comment on the charges at this time, Christopher added, "At this point, we have a dedicated board of directors and other quality staff.  We will continue to provide the best services to our clients.  Our regular hours of operation remain in effect."

A viewer shared on Friday with NewsChannel 21 an emailed response he received from Christopher in May of 2021 when he inquired of the national organization about the Bend executive director’s criminal record regarding encouraging child sex abuse.

In her 2021 note, the Bend board president said that “Gary Hewitt made us aware of his conviction and past from the very beginning,” when he began working there six years previously as a pantry manager.

“He was such a stellar employee that it was an easy decision to promote him to the position of director,” Christopher wrote.

She also spoke to “the measures we have put in place in order to safeguard children. Since the beginning of his employment six years ago, we have worked with Gary’s parole officer and crated a plan so that Gary would not need to engage with children at any time.”

“St. Vincent de Paul is all about promoting second chances, redemption and forgiveness,” Christopher wrote at the time. “It seemed natural for us to extend this same blessing to Gary.”

Asked about those comments Friday, Christopher said, “Until I heard the news of today, I would have said that Gary exemplified a true redemption story. He has served as a dedicated employee for nine years.

“He was the one who helped us develop St. Vincent’s Place, our high-barrier emergency shelter for unhoused individuals,” she said. “He has put his whole heart and soul into helping our clients in any way he can.”