The son of an incapacitated former Oregon lobbyist pleaded guilty Thursday to stealing money from his father’s estate.
Earl Joe “Joey” Gilliam III entered the plea in a Clackamas County courtroom; he was charged with six felony counts of aggravated theft in the first degree and six counts of criminal mistreatment.
Earl Gilliam, 35, is the son of Joe Gilliam, the former president of the Northwest Grocery Association. In 2020, Joe Gilliam, 59, was mysteriously poisoned by the rare toxic metal thallium and remains in a vegetative state. No one has been charged with the poisoning.
Earl Gilliam was accused of taking money from his father’s estate over six months in 2021.
A court-appointed guardian in Clark County, Wash., where Joe Gilliam is in a long-term-care facility, compiled a report alleging that, while holding power of attorney for his father, the younger Gilliam took about $350,000 of his father’s money.
Earl Gilliam will be sentenced on June 12.
