Psychic under investigation in Southeast Portland | Business

PORTLAND, Ore. - If his palm reading would have said he'd be facing bankruptcy he probably would have walked right out the door. But he didn't ... and now he's trying to warn others.

Drakar Druella can still remember meeting Cathy Stevens. Druella says Stevens told him she "sensed a negative presence" and was "concerned for his well being."

"I thought perhaps she would be helpful to me," Druella said.

Druella said he paid a $265 initial fee for the first reading at her Southeast Hawthorne Boulevard shop. However, it wasn't long after telling her about his Catholic beliefs that he says she asked for more money. She said she wanted to buy a "tabernacle" - directly from the Vatican - to help him. The cost? A mere $22,000.

"She would be able to use this tabernacle as somewhat of a conduit to pull this out of me," Druella said of his "demons." She said she would take this into the tabernacle itself and then through a series of spiritual exercises to release it," he said.

Druella says in his mental state he honestly thought Stevens was helping. He was so convinced he bought her a Hummer to "reach remote areas" for healings - and eventually gave her large sums of money to help open a spiritual center.

In all, he says she chaulked up roughly $150,000 from loans he couldn't afford that ruined his credit and has now bankrupted him. It's an embarrassing situation he says that is worth sharing.

"I want to make sure this doesn't happen to somebody else," he said.
   
Stevens allegedly tried to recruit others to pay her the same way. There were times she did this in front of Druella, making him realize her pitch could prey on those desperately seeking guidance.

"So I just thought ... 'Wait a minute. This is not legitimate. This is the same song and dance she used with me and I thought it was for my particular situation.'"

We want to stress that Stevens does not face criminal charges. She has been arrested for theft, but then was released for lack of evidence.

Her attorney told us he would only answer our questions by e-mail, but so far we have not heard back.

Police say the investigation is ongoing, and there could be other victims. If you know anything about this case you are asked to call Portland Police at 503-823-3333.