Investigators are searching for more victims after a man was detained on Wednesday in connection with deceptive tool thefts from retailers in Portland and Clackamas, according to the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office.
On July 10, an employee at a Clackamas interior supplies store claimed that on July 9, someone contacted and fraudulently used a drywall company’s account number to purchase more than $6,300 in tools over the phone. The caller allegedly informed the employee that the persons picking up the tools would use a verbal “password” since he “didn’t trust anyone.”
Later that day, a man and a woman entered the store, entered the password, took the tools, and left in a gray, four-door Chevrolet Bolt hatchback with Washington State license plates.
The employee then called the drywall company to double-check the sale and discovered that the purchase had not been made.
According to CCSO, officers discovered that a similar incident had occurred the day before at the same interior supply retailer’s Portland location. In that case, a caller acting as an employee of the same drywall company used the company’s account number to steal almost $4,100 in tools.
Meanwhile, personnel at the supply business discovered Facebook Marketplace ads for tools that exactly matched those stolen from the stores. According to CCSO, the personnel began communicating with the seller account to arrange a sale in order to meet and collect the merchandise.
The staff informed detectives about the advertisements and that they were speaking with a potential suspect. The conference was scheduled for July 10, and detectives from the sheriff’s office attended.
According to CCSO, the suspect was carrying a counterfeit identity card as well as the stolen things when they met. He was hauled into arrest and identified as Zachery Gene Diluzio, 40.
Diluzio was placed into the Clackamas County Jail and charged with organized retail theft, identity theft, first-degree theft, and second-degree possession of a forged instrument.
Detectives are continuing to investigate and say there could be more victims.
Anyone with information regarding this case or Diluzio’s conduct is asked to call CCSO at 503-723-4949 or visit clackamas.us/sheriff/tip. Refer to CCSO Case #25-014407.
