10:40 AM PST on Saturday, March 27, 2004

Associated Press

BEAVERTON -- An elderly couple, swindled out of more than $80,000 by their accountant, were forced out of their $1 million Beaverton home by Washington County Sheriff's deputies.

Ken Reusser. (KGW Photo)

One week ago, six armed deputies, said Ken and Trudy Reusser, broke down the door to their home, searched the house and asked the couple to pack their belongings and leave within the hour. Two of the deputies drew guns, said Trudy Reusser.

The officials removed the couple because the pair was unable to pay for the home, which sits on land once owned by Ken Reusser's grandfather.

"We thought we could retire there and have the kids come visit," said Trudy Reusser from her neighbor's home, where she and her husband have been staying. "Now we're strapped like a young couple starting out in life."

The couple said they owed about $800,000 on the house to Washington Mutual.

Robert E. Thomas. (KGW Photo)

Trudy, 65, and Ken, 84, a retired Marine Corps pilot who was awarded the Purple Heart five times and the Navy Cross twice, said they trusted Robert E. Thomas, their accountant, to care for their finances. Instead, he took checks from their checkbook, wrote them to himself and deposited them in his accounts.

Thomas was sentenced in May 2003 to a year in jail. He pleaded guilty to four counts of first-degree aggravated theft and one count of first-degree forgery exceeding $10,000.

The couple filed a civil lawsuit against Thomas and Washington Mutual, which the couple said made it easy for Thomas to forge the checks.

The Reussers have tried to recover their money from the bank, but because they missed a 30-day deadline to file the complaint, Washington Mutual could not help.

The Reussers said they tried to sell the home, but Washington Mutual told them if they did not drop the lawsuit against the bank, it would block the sale.

Olivia Riley, a spokeswoman for Washington Mutual, released a statement saying, "While Mr. Reusser's situation is unfortunate, it is not of our company's making."

Three years ago, the Reussers said they lost $262,500 in a high-yield investment they learned about from friends. That, along with the $83,383 they lost to Thomas, forced them to file for bankruptcy in August.

The sheriff's office said it was not aware of the earlier investment loss.