PORTLAND, Ore. -- Federal investigators now believe that a former regional manager for the Oregon Liquor Control Commission in Bend accused of stealing the identity of a boy killed 28 years ago in Ohio is actually a Bulgarian immigrant brought to the United States by a former Reagan Administration official.
The man who is now known to be Doitchin Krasev, was brought to the United States by Michael Horowitz and his wife in the early 1990s. They met Krasev in Sofia, Bulgaria where Horowitz was studying the effects of Communism.
Horowitz and his wife helped Krasev get into the United States and into Georgetown Day, a prestigious prep school where he graduated with honors.
He won a scholarship to Davidson College where he stayed for two years before dropping out and disappearing.
Investigators say that Horowitz and his wife hired detectives to try and find him but to no avail. They believe he adopted different identities, in part, to avoid being found.
Meanwhile, federal agents released new information Friday night on how they nabbed an Oregon law enforcement agent accused of stealing the identity of a murdered boy.
They used a relatively new investigative tool, comparing death certificates with passport applications. They also received a solid tip from a former friend, who helped lead to his arrest.
On Thursday, Newschannel 8 learned that the former head of Bend's Oregon Liquor Control Commission has faked his identity for years.
Federal investigators said he used alias after alias, moving from state to state, telling tall tales about his so-called relatives. One agent says he claims his father was an appointee to former President Ronald Reagan.
When Krasev moved to Oregon, he obtained a birth certificate and then applied for a passport in the name of James Robert Evers.
It turns out, he got the name from a Ohio boy who was kidnapped and murdered in 1982. Thursday night, federal agents informed the Evers' family on the accused impostor's arrest.
"There's still a lot of questions, like what did he do? " said Amy Evers, the sister of the real Jason Evers. "It gives me a little peace of mind that he can't go by Jason Evers anymore."
But how did he live this lie so long?
Federal agents said he was smart and disciplined.
While living in Bend, he was an avid chess player with remarkable skill. "Jason is a class A player, " said Eric Holcomb, of the Central Oregon Chess Club, "He's in the top 80 to 90 percent of chess players."
Prosecutors said he also held his true identity hidden to everyone from co-workers to his girlfriend.
"Not even his fiancee knew his true identity nor did his close co-workers or his adopted grandmother who lives in Oregon, " said Stacie Beckerman, Assistant U.S. Attorney.
Krasev was charged with passport fraud, a charge that could get him a 10 year prison term.
Calls to the Oregon Liquor Control Commission were not returned to explain why this information wasn't caught in a background check.
