Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt today announced that Gregory Whitson, 43, was sentenced by a Multnomah County Circuit Court judge to 100 months in prison and ordered to pay over $130,000 in restitution in relation to a number of incidents of burglary and theft in the downtown area since 2022. This sentencing resolves five criminal cases against Whitson: 24CR12529, 23CR20422, 23CR10628, 23CR10370, and 22CR53262.
Case Facts
Between 2022 and 2024, Whitson burglarized, stole, and destroyed the property of numerous individuals and businesses throughout Portland. His burglary and theft scheme was sophisticated and prolific. In case 23CR20422, Whitson broke into the Dossier Hotel after scouting the building by forcing open the secured garage and breaking the electronic scan pad. Once inside, he forced open a key box to take a janitorial master key that opened a secured door inside the building. From there, he stole from numerous offices inside the building. In 24CR12529, Whitson forced entry into an apartment building at SW College Street by prying open the call box and manipulating the front door. When he was apprehended by police in March of 2024, police found various burglary tools in his backpack. Whitson’s crimes include more than just burglaries of buildings. In 23CR20422, he stole a car accident victim’s cell phone while the victim was attempting to push his car out of the street. He then used the phone to make multiple purchases, explicitly under the name “Gregory Whitson.” By the time he was held in custody pending his trials, Whitson was charged with 74 counts, with more than 48 of those counts involving either distinct episodes or victims.
Plea and Sentencing
Deputy District Attorney Leslie Wu represented the state in this case. A plea was negotiated to resolve the various pending criminal cases against Whitson at open sentencing, and today, Judge Cheryl Albrecht sentenced Whitson to 100 months. Additionally, Whitson has been ordered to pay over $130,000 in restitution to his victims. He has been transferred into the custody of the Oregon Department of Corrections, where he will remain for the duration of his sentence.
The Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office recognizes the effect of such offending on both individuals and businesses and would like to express our appreciation for all who contributed to the resolution of this case. A special thank you to officers from Portland Police Bureau’s central precinct who did significant work to solve the cases and who testified at sentencing about the impact the defendant had on the downtown community.
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