Date: May 9, 2024

Case #: 2023-00044022

Incident: Bend non-profit founder arrested for theft of funds

Date / Time of Incident: May 9, 2024 / 9:00 AM  

Location: Bend Police Department, 555 NE 15th Street Bend, Oregon 97701

Arrested: Dawn Marie Holland, 51-year-old Bend Resident

Offenses: Aggravated Theft 1 – 10 counts

On 07-20-2023 the vice president of a local non-profit, D.A.W.N.S. House (Directly Assisting Women Newly Sober), contacted the Bend Police Department to report theft of funds from the non-profit.  The Bend Police Department Detectives conducted an investigation.  During the investigation, a financial investigator from the Oregon Department of Justice’s Charitable Activities Section was consulted.  Based upon the investigation both DOJ and the Bend Police Department believed there was probable cause to arrest former Executive Director Dawn Holland for multiple counts of Aggravated Theft in the First Degree.  

On 05-03-2024 the Deschutes County District Attorney’s Office presented the case facts to the Grand Jury who indicted Dawn Holland on 10 -counts of Aggravated Theft in the First Degree.  An arrest warrant was issued by the Deschutes County Circuit Court for Holland for those charges.

On 05-09-2024 Dawn Holland was arrested at the Bend Police Department based upon the arrest warrant.  She was lodged at the Deschutes County Adult Jail on the listed charges.

The Bend Police Department would like to thank the Oregon Department of Justice – Charitable Activities Section for their assistance with this investigation.