An Oregon woman is accused of using deceit to drain a dying Oak Harbor man’s bank accounts and fraudulently taking ownership of properties from his estate in 2021, according to court documents.

In all, Korina A. Bray is accused of fraudulently obtaining $1 million from the accounts as well as Whidbey Island properties worth an additional $2 million, according to a report by a detective with the Island County Sheriff’s Office.

She is represented by Platt, Thompson and Buescher, Attorneys at Law. In a statement to the News-Times, Platt wrote that Bray engaged in no criminal wrongdoing and that the family members “expressly gifted Ms. Bray property.”

“Ms. Bray relied on legal advice, with respect to this gift, received from a highly experienced local probate attorney,” he wrote. “She acted openly, based on a good faith claim of title. Clearly no crime was committed by Ms. Bray. This was simply a typical disagreement amongst family members who find themselves in similar situations.”

Prosecutors charged Bray in Island County Superior Court last month with five counts of theft from a vulnerable adult in the first degree, five counts of theft in the first degree and perjury in the first degree.

Ten of the charges included aggravating factors that, if confirmed by a jury, could allow a judge to sentence Bray beyond the standard sentencing range. If convicted of all the charges against her, Bray would face a standard sentencing range of 77 to 102 months in prison.

A 63-page report by Detective Michael Sadler details a year-long investigation that delves into the complications of probate, quick claim deeds, various types of banking accounts and family dynamics.

The report explains that Bray is the niece of the decedent, Timothy Bray; she was named as executor of the estate and given durable power of attorney.

The report claims that Bray tricked the rightful heirs into allegedly giving away their rights by telling them the paperwork they were signing was to allow the cremation of the deceased. In addition, the report states that she left out surviving heirs and properties in paperwork filed with the court.

The detective wrote that Bray filed quick claim deeds to transfer his properties into her name before he died, or on the day he died, or before entering the probate case for his estate. She sold at least some of the properties and purchased a home in Florida, the report indicates.

The report states that Bray received durable power of attorney designation just before her uncle died. The day after receiving the power, she transferred more than $250,000 from his bank accounts to her own, the report states. Three days later, he passed away.

Platt, however, wrote that the investigation was incomplete, biased and driven by a disgruntled family member.

“This is a civil matter,” he wrote. “A family’s dispute over gifts and inheritances does not belong in a criminal courtroom. There was no crime. This is only about family members fighting over money.”