Woman Claims Coffee Creek Nurse is Innocent

Tony Klein, Sentenced to 30 years, “Could Not Have Committed the Crimes,” Appeals “False Conviction”

By Edward Snook
Investigative Reporter

 WILSONVILLE, OR – Here in the United States, it’s no secret that innocent people are put in prison on a daily basis. From prosecutors who have an unchecked ability to overcharge (stack charges on) individuals to force them to take a plea deal, to the use of scientifically discredited forensic methods still regarded by the courts as valid, and to courts who keep pertinent exculpatory testimony and evidence from the jury, our system convicts anyone it sets its eyes on. This is especially true in cases where it’s one or more person’s word against another, like Oregon’s Coffee Creek Correctional Women’s Facility (CCCF) nurse, Tony Klein. More than 15 alleged victims all pointed to him as being a sexual predator, when, according to one witness, “there was in fact no way he could have committed the crimes”.

The Oregon State Police originally investigated the case and found the women inmates’ statements to be full of inconsistencies. Ultimately, state prosecutors declined to pursue charges, in part, because there was ZERO physical or recorded evidence of any kind to support the claims. The only “evidence” were the allegations themselves, from women who either knew each other or were closely associated within the prison. Klein has categorically denied under oath ever having any sexual contact with any inmate at CCCF. He also passed two polygraph examinations conducted by two separate polygraphers in 2021 and 2023.

A woman involved in the Klein case, has claimed that Klein was actually innocent, saying that it was a conspiracy inside the prison population to implicate him. “It is a tactic inmates often use, but in Klein’s instance it was especially effective.”

Further, with statements from other CCCF employees who spoke with us on the condition of anonymity, there is no way Klein could have committed the crimes he was convicted of. One employee told us, “These inmates are dangerous. Many of them are here because they are liars, used to gaming the system, or at least trying to.” Another stated that the nurses in particular are scared, “especially since what happened to Tony.”

At no time in the seven years Klein was a nurse at the Wilsonville, OR facility did anyone ever come forward to support the claims of the women. Yet several employees have pointed out how there was no way that this many inmates could have been abused over such a long period of time without someone seeing or hearing something when there was always someone nearby.

Coffee Creek is rife with allegations of misconduct, most of which are found to be false, but that doesn’t stop the efforts by some who profit from “false” allegations.

In Klein’s case, a civil suit was brought against the state before there was ever any criminal proceedings. During the civil process, most of the women were represented by the same attorney – Michelle Burrows. It has been reported that there was correspondence to inmates prior to the civil case from an attorney that suggested women should “get onboard with accusations” as it was almost certain women who did could get money.

And get money they did! The state paid out settlements in a total of $1.87 million to resolve the civil cases without going to trial. The following are the reported settlements from the civil suits against Klein. Nicole Crabtree $235,000, Elizabeth Rydall $290,000, Lisa Whipple $145,000, Connie Wilson $150,000, Julie Kellog $135,000, Autumn Brelin $185,000, Melissa Vittellaro $150,000, Michaella Owens $250,000, Kristy Devlin $150,000, Ashley Sweeny $117,000 and Sara Suarez $50,000.

Sara Suarez reportedly committed suicide at some point before the settlements were finalized but her family was reportedly still paid.

Even though the state declined to pursue criminal charges, the federal government got involved and leveled stacked charges against Klein.

The trial was lost from the moment it started. It has been reported that evidence of the women being given leniency in their sentences, help with kidnapping charges and even that some were recruited to work for the government as informants in return for their testimony was never heard by the jury. Testimony of inmates who heard the other women scheming and those who refused to participate in the “concocted story” were also not allowed to be heard.

I have thoroughly read Tony Klein’s appeal and there is no question that he did not receive a fair trial. Most pertinent evidence exonerating Klein was withheld from the jury in his case. Hopefully the Appeals Court will get it right and reverse Klein’s conviction.

When convicted on July 25, 2023, of 17 counts of sexual assault on 9 women and four counts of making false statements under oath in a 2019 deposition, Tony Klein had been a nurse for 9 years. He had always had a reputation of being a trustworthy, kind and hard-working man. Records show that during his time at Coffee Creek, he became an outspoken advocate for better nurse safety and “protection from the dangerous inmates at the facility”. He’d reportedly email his management asking for better camera coverage in areas where he knew the nurses were not protected.

In the years prior to and after his Coffee Creek employment, never once had any other woman come forward to suggest Klein was ever anything but a kind, decent human being.

According to one witness, “Klein has a wife and children who are all confused how a system that is supposed to provide justice can be so blind to the obvious scheme that cost the state and federal government millions to cover for a bunch of women who are themselves a bunch of lying abusers, and streetwise enough to go after the good guy.”

One person close to the Klein case told us, “with some of these women going clean, and their consciences nagging, you can rest assured they will have a come-to-Jesus moment where they will need to tell the truth, that Tony Klein is an innocent man, and he does not deserve to serve out his harsh 30-year sentence which was the result of a false conviction and extremely unfair trial in federal court.”

The US~Observer will be there when they do.

Editor’s Note: Please call 541-474-7885 or email editor@usobserver.com if you have any information on the Klein case.