A judge sentenced a Portland man to one year in prison for defrauding a woman out of $26,000. Prosecutors claim Michele Bocci tricked the woman by falsely claiming he needed money to help pay medical expenses for his daughter who was sick with leukemia.
As part of a deal with Multnomah County prosecutors, Bocci pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated theft in the first degree by deception. He was also ordered to pay $23,000 in restitution.
Bocci has a history of deceit.
A KGW investigation in 2017 exposed how Bocci mislead the community, church groups and even police. He claimed to be a decorated U.S. Marine, a war veteran who was left to care for his young children after losing his wife to cancer. The story wasn’t true.
Prosecutors in Multnomah, Washington and Clark counties have filed charges against Bocci.