Former leader of St. Vincent de Paul arraigned on drug charges, Sept. 13 plea hearing set
(Update: Hewitt court appearance; St. Vincent de Paul board president serving as interim executive director)
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – The former executive director of St. Vincent de Paul of Bend was arraigned Friday on a grand jury indictment accusing the Redmond resident of possessing “substantial quantities” of methamphetamine and delivering the drug within 1,000 feet of two schools.
Deschutes County Circuit Judge Michelle McIver set a Sept. 13 plea hearing for Gary Lee Hewitt, 58, who was arrested last week on the same Class A and C felony charges that a grand jury indicted him on Tuesday.
A plea hearing also had been scheduled Friday for Hewitt on a misdemeanor charge of failure to report as a sex offender. But the judge agreed with defense attorney Dylan Potter and Deputy District Attorney Andrew Doyle to keep the cases tracking together and left the same $250,000 bail and conditions if released as previously set.
St. Vincent de Paul Board President Patty Christopher confirmed to NewsChannel 21 Friday that she is filling in as interim executive director, for now.
“All other current staff and volunteers are remaining active in pursuit of the mission of St. Vincent de Paul,” Christopher said.
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Earlier info:
The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office Street Crimes Unit concluded a short-term investigation with the Aug. 15 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.
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.
Court records show Hewitt was charged in February and was 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 last 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.”
