PORTLAND, Ore. (KATU) — Over the past year, at least five different Portland-area Urban Alchemy employees have been terminated from the nonprofit after they were arrested and charged with crimes ranging from domestic violence-related offenses to murder and drug charges.
The nonprofit is Portland’s largest homeless service provider and has recently come under fire after a KATU investigation revealed dozens of complaints, some from guests, others from employees, with allegations ranging from sexual harassment and physical assault to drug use and dealing by staff.
The nonprofit touts its second-chance model, which employs individuals who have previously been convicted of and served time for a crime.
According to a verification of employment conducted through Urban Alchemy’s corporate offices, Swann Devon Carmicle started working for the organization on April 8 of 2024, and was terminated on March 4, 2026.
A video posted to social media by the Portland Police Bureau shows his arrest the night of March 4.
PAST COVERAGE | Shelter guests accuse Urban Alchemy staff of drug use, distribution, sexual harassment
Prior to that most recent arrest, he was arrested in February of 2025 and charged with attempting to elude a police officer, recklessly endangering another person, reckless driving and criminal mischief.
According to court documents, the charges stemmed from a domestic violence call. As Gresham Police responded to the call, Carmicle allegedly took off in a vehicle and a pursuit began during which Carmicle allegedly narrowly missed hitting a pedestrian with his car, and backed up into a police vehicle, damaging it before the pursuit ended with a foot chase and Carmicle’s arrest.
Court documents allege that police were called because Carmicle physically assaulted a former girlfriend whom he had been ordered to stay 1000 feet away from as part of parole conditions.
The case was dismissed on Feb. 26 of this year, and then again reinstated in March shortly after he was arrested again.
Throughout the period of time when charges had been filed and pending trial, Carmicle continued to work for Urban Alchemy.
A video posted to social media by the Portland Police Bureau shows Carmicle’s arrest the night of March 4/KATU News
The arrest on March 4 was related to an incident involving a different former girlfriend in Jan. of 2026.
According to court documents, Carmicle allegedly physically assaulted the woman, throwing her to the ground, kicking her and dragging her to the doorway before slamming the door on her head multiple times.
The incident was witnessed by her children, some of whom were minors. Court documents allege that when her adult child tried to intervene, Carmicle pulled out a gun and threatened to shoot.
That child, legally an adult, was younger than 20-years-old at the time of the incident.
After the incident, the victim sought medical treatment and provided police with the medical records along with pictures of bruising.
Police were initially unable to locate Carmicle but court documents note they were able to find and arrest him at his place of employment on March 4, the same day he was terminated by Urban Alchemy.
More citations and arrests
According to a verification of employment conducted through Urban Alchemy’s corporate offices, Delmody McCoy worked for Urban Alchemy from July 17, 2023 to Feb. 13, 2026.
During that time he was cited twice for driving on a suspended license. The case was dismissed the first time. He was convicted the second time after failing to appear. He was arrested again on Feb. 12, the day before he was terminated, for delivery and possession of cocaine, as well as possessing a firearm as a felon. The case is still open.
According to court documents, McCoy was pulled over after allegedly making an unlawful maneuver. After finding that McCoy was driving on a suspended license and his passenger was also unable to drive, police ordered a tow and inventoried the vehicle after discovering 30 grams of cocaine and a firearm. His passenger was Travis Vann, also an Urban Alchemy employee.
Both Vann and McCoy were charged with possession, delivery and felon in possession of a firearm.
According to a verification of employment, Vann was employed with Urban Alchemy from Oct. 20, 2025 to Feb. 13, 2026.
KATU reached out to Urban Alchemy for comment about these arrests.
Urban Alchemy spokesperson Jess Montejano provided a statement which read, in part, “We hold our team to the highest professional standards – period. When individuals violate those standards, we address them quickly and directly. Mr. Carmicle, Mr. McCoy, and Mr. Vann violated our standards and their employment with Urban Alchemy was immediately terminated.” The full statement is included at the end of this article.
In the past, the nonprofit has declined multiple requests for an interview in regards to KATU’s investigation into complaints against staff. When presented with a list of 22 written questions, the nonprofit declined to answer. Instead providing a written statement that did not address the questions.
One of the questions KATU asked was whether the nonprofit randomly drug tests its employees; many of whom had served time for drug-related offenses.
As previously reported by KATU, in 2025 two Urban Alchemy employees in Portland were terminated after felony charges were filed against them for alleged violent crimes.
In Nov. 2025, Kaesha Green was arrested and charged with second-degree murder for her alleged involvement in the fatal shooting of Mohamed Shaani in March 2022. The alleged crime would have occurred before Green began working with Urban Alchemy in May 2023.
Christopher Woods was terminated from Urban Alchemy in Oct. 2025. He was arrested on burglary, harassment and trespassing charges in Aug. 2025.
Court documents allege he had been in a romantic relationship with a coworker at Urban Alchemy and entered her home and allegedly assaulted her after she attempted to end the relationship.
The harassment and trespassing charges were dismissed in a plea deal. He was convicted of first-degree burglary in Nov. 2025 and received 36 months of probation. After his termination, Woods was arrested again in January of this year for allegedly stabbing a man in a Safeway bathroom, and now faces attempted murder charges.
At the time of those arrests, an Urban Alchemy spokesperson provided a written statement noting that it conducts background checks on all employees and follows Oregon’s “fair chance” laws, which require employers to consider the nature of the crime, time passed and job relevance before rejecting a candidate based on a criminal record.
“We hold our entire team to the highest possible standards, and when someone violates those standards, we immediately take the appropriate action,” the statement provided at the time read in part.
Urban Alchemy’s most recent statement on employee arrests, provided to KATU via email:
“Mr. McCoy and Mr. Vann were members of our LOVE team and were not providing services to our guests at the shelters we manage at the time of their arrests.We categorically deny the most serious allegations that were levied against Urban Alchemy by anonymous, unverified sources in Ms. Giardinelli’s report.Not one piece of evidence—not a single document, not a single police report—has been shared with us to substantiate any of the most serious accusations made against Urban Alchemy.We remain focused on the work and on helping the people we serve build healthier, more stable lives.”
