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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 6, 1979)
J ^ tla n d -O b s a rv e r T h u n d a y , S eptem ber 6. 1979 Page 3 A m e r ic a n S ta te B a n k ’ ‘ The Hank thaï iniegralion huili ' 2737 N.E. Union 282 2216 STOP LOOKING 5 ^ X J 0 M 0 R R 0 W 'S SECURITY FOR YOUR FAMILY TODAY FORREST RIEKE DA HARL H AA S ROD A D D IC K S FLOYD FORSBERG Who killed James Turel? L'.. _____ - _ . . . Five years ago two men concocted a murder plan, one that would lead the authorities to the Black com munity on a wild goose chase while the real killers leisurely went their way. Today, one o f the killers is in prison. The identity o f the second is open to question. Dennis C artwright admitted his role in the killing and implicated Rod Addicks, partner o f the murdered man. Addicks was convicted and is serving a life sentence. For the past year, Floyd Forsberg, bank robber and gangland killer, has claimed the murder to be his own. Forrest “ Joe” Rieke, who as a Multnomah County Deputy District Attorney prosecuted Addicks, states that he s till believes Addicks is guilty. Besides C a rtw rig h t’ s testi mony against Addicks, all o f which he states was corroborated by other witnesses, Rieke believes Cartwright incapable o f designing the murder plan. He considers C artw right a pathetic man who became involved in the murder because o f his friend ship with Addicks. Only Addicks was intellig en t enough to put together the murder plot. Although Rieke admires Addicks’ e xtra ord in ary intelligence and believes only he was capable o f creating such an ingenious plan, he does not know Floyd Forsberg. He also does not realize that this plan fits Forsberg’ s mode o f o p e ra tio n - learned as a member o f organized crime and as an FBI informant. Forsberg’s story involves involve ment in the Nevada mobs and the “ Mexican M afia” ; service as an FBI informant; the Catlin murder, for which he is incarcerated; the Turel murder, for which Rod Addicks was convicted; civil rights suits against D istrict A ttorney H arl Haas and former Assistant DA Forrest “ Joe" Rieke and M ultnom ah C ounty corrections officials in connection with the Turel case; and now the Tolentino case. Forsberg says he has been a criminal all his life, first going to reform school at the age o f 15, and spending 14 o f the last 15 years in prison. His role as an FBI informant began in 1966, when he was charged with a Portland bank robbery and a Washington burglary. In exchange for pleading guilty and providing evidence against others, he was promised a ligh t sentence. A f ter receiving a 25 year sentence, nc says he was pressured into serving as an informer for the FBI by a promise of an early release. He did provide some in fo rm a tio n , but became disillusioned and angry when this resulted in cutting only six months o ff o f his time. In prison he met Curtis Michelson, “ one of the best bank robbers in the country and as I was later to learn, one ol the FBI’ s top inform ants." Prior to his release from McNeal Island he helped Michelson escape He and Michelson formed a gang to rob banks and kill public officials. I he first hit was to be Judge Gus Solomon, who had sentenced both men. I he plan was to kill Solomon and leave his body in his car in Albina with Black hair in it a plan Forsberg says came from the FBI’s attempts to destroy Black groups. was generally understood that we should use every opportunity to discredit Blacks, especially those in voiced in civil rights type causes. We were led to believe it was Director Hoover’ s orders to all regular agents and they passed it on to us operatives." Forsberg’ s release date was near, but Michelson was only half through his 22 year sentence, so Forsberg arranged his escape from McNeal Island. “ Il Forsberg says that as soon as he was released in March o f 1974, he was again approached by the FBI and asked to help get Michelson He claims that during that summer he was under surveillance, his phone was tapped, and he was threatened in various ways. As the result o f this harassment, Forsberg says, he agreed to help kill Portland businessman, James turel. Dennis Cartwright, a long time friend, had asked him to help kill Turel in return for $5, (XX). He was not in terested, but when Cartwright told him Turel did income tax returns lo r many FBI agents and he might find the address o f the agent that had been harassing him, he changed his mind. This was accomplished on August^«, 1974. W orking for the FBI Following the Turel murder he was involved with Michelson in a $1.5 m illio n bank robbery in Reno. Following the bank robbery the FBI harassment intensified and Forsberg "The PRODUCE CENTER o f PORTLAND* • TMff JO CAM and FRCCZC" FRCCZC' TIM [ TO BARTLETT, C j| JQ , 2 3 ^ 54 I mood river : PEARS • <- J IMPROVED 4 , - S ELBERTA PEACHES SWEET and sw„T..a DELICIOUS FREESTONE IB SJ98 • CANTALOUPE • LB | 5 ( * » » PICKLING CUKES, GARLIC. DILL fresh dody * * * U.S. NO. 1 FANCY, LARCE CRAVENSTEIN APPLES or NECTARINES YOUR <1^100 CHOICE I CANNING JARS $2*9 M AGIC M A SO N REG MOUTH QUARTS DOZEN CASABA MELONS) . d I2 < ZINETTI PASTA PRODUCTS ASSORTED 16 oi pkg W ater WATER CHES CHESTNUTS PACIFIC STEER BEEF 39’ «* . j V c4 51 ■ TINS LEAN, MEATY, SMOKED : FLANK STEAK lb. J HAM SHANKS $2” 89 < lb. pïîûs GOOD TM»U SAT SE»! S I97Ç SHERIDAN FRUIT Co. S.l. UNION A OAK finally agreed lo provide information on M ichelson, then fled lo New York. I hai summer Forsberg became in volved with I red Hopper, an attor ney and former policeman, whom Forsberg claims was then involved in organized crime He learned through Hopper’s friends still m the FBI that his original robbery, the one he had been arrested for in 1966, had been sei up by the FBI io make a “ 1930’s type arrest to generate publicitv for the F B I." Alter Michelson was caught Fors berg returned to Portland but was arrested on his wav lo Ridgefield lo retrieve money he had hidden there. Incarcerated at the (o w litz County tail in Kelso, Forsberg contemplated what Hopper had told him about how the FBI allows crimes to be com m itted and allows the criminals to go tree in order io get the identities ol other criminals—an etlori io control criminals and radi cals and neutralize them before they can unite He had helped rob a bank and got seven years while the infor mant got 90 days. He heard Michel son had always been an I BI in fo r mant and knew he would gel a light sentence in Bus case. He contacted ihe I BI and offered lo plead guilty; give evidence against those involved in the Reno bank robbery; provide in fo rm a tio n on Hopper and several ol Ins men, and gise inform ation on the narcotics tra llic in Mexico and I os Angeles In exchange he asked to serve his sen tence at Oregon State Penitentiary, where he could he near his wile He was then approached by the Organized Crime task force to help set up Hopper and agreed He would be paid with years o il his sentence lor every gang leader he could im pli cate. He wav sent to jail in Los Angeles and then to Reno Finally he got tired ot waiting, and hearing that M ichelson would get out o l the hank charge and he would he the fall guv. he allowed Hopper to arrange his escape. The escape was set up by Hopper, and he was transported back to Oregon by C lark Tim m ons and Denise Catlin Since he had given the FBI information on Hopper’s con tracts, after his escape the FBI began closing in on them and Hopper became suspicious. Forsberg says this is because fo llo w in g T im m ons’ tra il to the higher echelons o f organized crime would reveal FBI involvement. When he arrived at O.S.P., Fors berg wav shocked to find Dennis Cartwright, who had pleaded guilty to the I urel murder and had im pli cated Kurd's business partner, Rod Addicks. " I was surprised that Den nis had been caught, since so much time had passed, hui I was even more surprised when he told me another man had been convicted on the mur der I committed." (Next week: Ihe I urel murder) H 4 r>eT ,Om r’° " " !s * " h w c osi- to I 5 and fl minutes from Interstate bridge Include 2 baths double (1bflck - 9 ” dishwasher. garbage d^posaT w /w ca, price for 3 b e d ? 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However, if he did go through with the killing o f Ms. Catlin and two others, he and his wife would be sent to safety in South America. “ I didn’ t want to kill Denise. I had gotten to know her. She was young and excited about being a drug run ner and didn't deserve to die. I wanted to give her some money and send her aw ay." The murder was per formed, but Forsberg and Timmons stopped to plan a bank robbery and were arrested for escape While held in Rocky Butte, Fors berg contacted his attorney and o f fered to tell all he knew as well as confessing to the Catlin murder. FJe was told that the U.S. Attorney in Las Vegas would not allow him lo plead guilty to the bank robbery. He was returned to Reno along with Timmons . Charges against Tim mons were dropped; Michelson got ten years to run concurrently with the sentence he was serving for escape; Forsberg got 30 years. Hopper got 25 years, reduced to 5. Returned to Oregon, Forsberg led the authorities to the Catlin body and pleaded g u ilty . H is only and pleaded guilty. The only con sideration he asked was that Tim mons be prosecuted lo this date, Timmons has never been indicted nor brought to trial a If you have a problem that is not covered in this list, please call and ask whether we can help Chances are, we can. If not, we can recommend someone else for you to call One way or the other, we want to see you get the kind of professional legal counsel you're entitled to T he best time to call us, or any attorney, is before you are embroiled in a legal problem This is called preventative law and it makes a lot of sense Regardless, when you call us we will arrange for an initial consultation at your convenience Cost: $20 We probably can't solve anything in this meeting, but it is a chance for you to explain your particular problem and for us to give you some idea of what it'll take to reach a solution If you want us to proceed, we'll give you an estimate of the fees you should plan on In writing LSI 7 L1
