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When the Milwaukie longshoreman stopped at an Oak Grove 7-Eleven for coffee early on a cold December morning in 2020, he saw a man, later identified as Joseph Taylor Letts, lingering outside.
The Milwaukie man, on his way to work in North Portland, left his Toyota Corolla idling while he went inside the store. And Letts quickly took advantage, driving off in the victim's car.
Fortunately, a Clackamas County Sheriff's deputy stopped Letts about 30 minutes before the vehicle theft and took a photo of him. A witness at the 7-Eleven, who got a good look at Letts, was able to identify him from the police photograph.
Clackamas County Circuit Judge Kathie F. Steele found Letts guilty on Wednesday (February 19, 2025) of Unauthorized Use of a Vehicle and Possession of a Stolen Vehicle. Steele sentenced Letts to 20 months in prison.
"We were happy to get justice for the victim after more than four years and appreciate members of the community coming forward to participate in the prosecution by being a witness," said Clackamas County Senior Deputy District Attorney Brian Censoni, who prosecuted the case.
Lett's original trial was scheduled for June 2021 but he failed to appear. He was extradited to Oregon in early 2024 after being arrested in Kitsap County, Washington. His trial was then scheduled for May 2024 but the case had to be rescheduled because of a death. The trial was reset for July, but Letts again failed to appear.
Letts was arrested for public indecency in Multnomah County last year. He was convicted on December 20 and transferred to Clackamas County where he was held without bail until trial.
Letts has an extensive criminal history in Washington for theft, drug possession and other petty crimes.
Clackamas County Circuit Court Case 21CR21330
Contact: dapio@clackamas.us