Oregon sues relief founder over $837,000 diversion from wildfire victims

Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield sued the founder of Cascade Relief Team on April 16, accusing Marcus Juwan Brooks of diverting nearly $837,000 in donations and grants meant for wildfire, flood and tornado victims, including survivors in Blue River and other Lane County communities.

The lawsuit, filed in Multnomah County Circuit Court, says Brooks used his control over the nonprofit to steer disaster aid away from the people it was meant to help. For Blue River residents still rebuilding after the 2020 Labor Day fires, the case lands as another blow to trust in the promises made in the aftermath of one of Oregon’s most destructive wildfire seasons.

Cascade Relief Team was founded in September 2020, based in Otis with its principal office in Lincoln County. The complaint says the organization gained 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status, accepted public donations, government contracts and grants, and was never meaningfully governed. Brooks allegedly listed board members on filings who never attended meetings or reviewed financial records.

According to the Oregon Department of Justice, Brooks had complete control over the group’s accounts and assets, ran money through 26 different bank accounts, and used charitable funds for unauthorized compensation, personal credit cards, loans, rent, child support, liquor, strip clubs, jewelry, vehicles, travel, streaming subscriptions, casino visits, and trips to Disneyland and Florida. State officials said some disaster-response work did occur, but they allege the misuse was systematic over several years.

The Oregon Department of the State Fire Marshal joined the case because it issued grants through the Community Risk Reduction Fund. The complaint also cites a $326,000 Red Cross allocation for Kentucky tornado relief routed through the Community Foundation of Western Kentucky, underscoring how the nonprofit’s reach extended well beyond Lane County even as it drew on disaster donations from the public.

Brooks once described the mission as taking survivors “full circle” from disaster to returning home. State officials now say the path went somewhere else entirely. The lawsuit seeks restitution, an order barring Brooks from future charitable leadership, and the judicial dissolution of Cascade Relief Team.