A Vancouver lawyer who fired shots at a Beaverton, Ore., lawyer’s office in December 2017 was sentenced Wednesday to 1½ years in prison.
Online court records show 43-year-old Erik Graeff pleaded guilty in October in Washington County, Ore., Circuit Court to unlawful use of a weapon and recklessly endangering another person. A second count of unlawful use of a weapon was dismissed.
The court also imposed two years of supervised release in Graeff’s case and barred him from contacting the victims’ places of employment, court records say.
Graeff was arrested and booked Feb. 28 into the Washington County Jail following a search of his Vancouver home in the Shumway neighborhood.
The arrest stemmed from the Dec. 21 shooting at a Beaverton law firm, according to a search warrant affidavit.
Graeff reportedly had an ongoing dispute with attorney Terrance Hogan, with whom he had been working on a civil case. Hogan had left Graeff a voicemail earlier in the day of the shooting, expressing his displeasure with Graeff’s performance on the case. The two exchanged taunting emails about three hours before the shooting, the affidavit states.
A receptionist at the law office where Hogan works called 911 about 7 p.m. to report someone had shot at the building. Responding officers found six rounds had struck the building, two of which went through a window — one struck a computer monitor, narrowly missing the receptionist, and another lodged into the metal frame of a door, the affidavit states.
Police connected Graeff to the shooting and searched his home. During the search, officers found several boxes of pseudoephedrine, which is used in the production of methamphetamine, in a hall closet. A computer in the house contained notes and videos on how to produce drugs, according to an affidavit of probable cause filed in Clark County Superior Court.
In the basement, officers found what they believe to be a methamphetamine laboratory. They confiscated a glass jar containing a white crystalline substance, which field-tested positive for methamphetamine, the affidavit states.
Graeff was charged with possession of pseudoephedrine with intent to manufacture methamphetamine, as well as manufacturing the drug. His trial is set for March 25.
Graeff was licensed to practice law in Washington and Oregon. His Washington license has been suspended, according to the Washington State Bar Association’s online directory. The Oregon State Bar directory says Graeff remains an active member.
