Former Portland freelance journalist sentenced for arson, bias crimes in 2022

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Michael Bivins was sentenced to five years in prison and five years of supervised probation after being convicted by a Multnomah County grand jury of 11 charges, ranging from arson to bias crimes.

Bivins, a former freelance journalist, engaged in what the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office called “a four-day crime spree in which he vandalized two synagogues, a black-owned business, and attempted to set a mosque on fire,” back in 2022.

Bivins was sentenced for first-degree arson, five counts of criminal mischief and five counts of second-degree bias crime.

“This sentence sends a clear message that acts of hate and violence will not be tolerated in our community. Setting fire and damaging property out of prejudice is not only destructive, it is an attack on the safety and dignity of the people targeted,” said Multnomah County DA Nathan Vasquez in a statement. “We will continue to hold individuals accountable who commit bias-motivated crimes and work to ensure that every member of our community can live free from fear and intimidation.”

According to the DA’s office, Bivins targeted multiple organizations around Portland, including two synagogues and a black-owned business, from May 1-3, 2022.

Then on May 4, 2022, he went to the Fox News station in Beaverton and demanded to speak to a reporter, saying he was the perpetrator of the vandalism and going on an antisemitic rant. Bivins vowed to return on May 6, 2022, and when he did, he was arrested by the Portland Police Bureau after being tipped off by a reporter.

Bivins was a former freelance journalist for a number of news organizations, often covering political extremism.