According to Terese Korpela, who worked at the Dutch Bros coffee drive-through when she was seventeen years old and a high school student, police officer Eric Zwald stopped up two or three times a day.
She claimed that Zwald eventually informed her that he could access her personal data.
According to Korpela, he once typed her name into the mobile data terminal in his Scappoose police car, turned the computer screen in her direction, and showed her. She added that he looked through her mother’s file as well.
On certain nights, Zwald would wait for Korpela and her young female coworkers to depart in the parking lot outside the Dutch Bros. in his patrol car. According to Korpela, he once provided them with his personal phone number and instructed them to call him if they ever needed him.
Korpela claimed that Zwald occasionally made her uncomfortable, so she made an effort to avoid taking his order when he passed past.
Accordingly, he would insist on staying until I approached and said, “Hello,” she recalled. He recognized the automobile I drove and my license plate. It was really uncomfortable.
Zwald, 51, admitted to running Korpela through the state Law Enforcement Data Systems computer database on September 22 and 29, 2022, in an effort to get a personal advantage, and he entered a guilty plea to two charges of first-degree official misconduct in Columbia County Circuit Court on Wednesday.
Zwald agreed to voluntarily give up his Oregon police certification for life and to stop communicating with Korpela, who is now 20 years old.
The court will revoke the plea and conviction if he follows those guidelines and doesn’t commit any more misdemeanor offenses or more serious charges within the following 18 months.
The plea agreement stipulates that he will be imprisoned for 60 days if he doesn’t.
According to state law, the police database may only be used for permitted objectives, such as executing state traffic and criminal laws, locating towed or impounded vehicles, screening potential hires, and locating vehicles or individuals connected to criminal investigations.
According to the indictment and Multnomah County Deputy District Charlie Weiss, who oversaw the prosecution in Columbia County, Zwald was charged with four other counts of official misconduct, including running the names of other women through the database in September and October 2022 and March 1, 2023, for personal gain.
According to Korpela, the four other women were her coworkers at Dutch Bros. and were a little older than she was at the time. According to Weiss, the plea deal included the dropping of those charges.
While attending the nearby Scappoose High School, Terese Korpela worked at the local Dutch Bros. in Scappoose when she was just 17 years old. She claimed that while she was working at the window, Officer Eric Zwald came by two or three times per day.Staff Member Maxine Bernstein
Korpela, who currently resides in a different state, stated that although she was aware of the matter, she was unaware that it could be dropped provided Zwald complies with the law for the next year and a half.
She added that requiring Zwald to have no communication with anyone other than her is insufficient.
She said that he had an impact on others besides myself. He was almost predatory toward all of my coworkers.
During the brief plea hearing before Circuit Judge Michael T. Clarke, Zwald was accompanied by defense attorney Julio Vidrio. Other than submitting the plea, they didn’t say much during the hearing. Later inquiries asking Vidrio for comment on the case’s specifics were not answered.
Zwald began his career as a St. Helens police officer in late April 2019, however he left the department on October 4, 2019. On April 20, 2020, he was employed by Scappoose police. State records show that on January 1, 2023, he was placed on leave from Scappoose police.
On February 15 of this year, a grand jury in Columbia County delivered a six-count indictment against Zwald.
Inquiries from The Oregonian/OregonLive regarding Zwald’s position throughout the previous year and whether he was receiving compensation while on leave were forwarded to the city manager by Scappoose police.
According to Benjamin Burgener, the city manager, Zwald has not worked for Scappoose police since March 2024. Until then, he did not specify if Zwald was on paid leave.
A conviction for first-degree official misconduct misdemeanor carries a maximum penalty of $6,250 in fines and 364 days in jail.
In a county shaken by allegations of sexual misconduct against two St. Helens High School teachers—a retired math teacher and a now-fired choir teacher—Zwald’s prosecution is the most recent event. Both men have entered not guilty pleas to charges of student sexual abuse.
In addition, the high school principal entered a not guilty plea to an indictment alleging that she neglected to disclose the instructors’ alleged sexual assault as required by law.
— Maxine Bernstein writes about criminal justice and federal courts. You can contact her via [email protected], 503-221-8212, X@maxoregonian, or LinkedIn.
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