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Mystery remains as high school imposter arraigned By Chris Bristol Only Daniel Charles Ray Hanson knows why he enrolled at South Medford High School and said he was 17 years old, when he actually graduated with honors from Eagle Point High School in 1994. And he�s not talking. He also won�t say why he allegedly tried the same thing at Phoenix High School more than five years ago. "I�m a state witness in Multnomah County, and that�s all I can say," Hanson, who turned 26 last week, cryptically responded moments after he was arraigned in Jackson County court Tuesday morning on two counts of first-degree forgery and one count of second-degree forgery. Prosecutors allege Hanson falsified his date of birth and Social Security number so he could enroll at South Medford, where he was given the red-carpet treatment last month after he claimed he was down on his luck and homeless because his mother had recently died. The scam was exposed after only a week, when Hanson was spotted drinking beer at a local pizzeria. Earlier in the evening he had officiated a South Medford girls basketball game, and the team was celebrating the game at the same place. That Hanson lied about his age and his mother�s death is easy to prove, authorities said. But they don�t know why he concocted the stories. "At this point it�s pure speculation, because he wouldn�t give me a statement," said Medford police officer Phil Steigleder, a school resource officer who made the arrest last month. "That said, it appears through the documentation that he�s trying to change certain aspects about himself." South Medford Principal Cynda Rickert said she too is mystified. "I�ve heard of these kinds of cases before, but that�s about it," she said. "Most people don�t want to go back to high school." Rickert said Hanson claimed he needed his GED when he enrolled at the school in early January, claiming his birthdate was March 25, 1983. He also claimed he was homeless and his mother had recently died. In response, the school tried to assist Hanson, who always used his real name even though he was using a phony date of birth. Rickert said he was given some housing assistance, food stamps and clothing. After he was spotted drinking beer at the pizzeria � where he apparently used ID indicating he was older than 21 � school officials asked Steigleder to investigate. The officer said Hanson readily admitted the scam � his real birthdate is Jan. 31, 1975 � but not the motive. In fact, Hanson graduated with honors from Eagle Point High School in 1994. According to Steigleder, Hanson then attended Willamette University for a year on a full-ride scholarship before he left the Salem school. As part of the investigation, Steigleder discovered that Hanson pulled the same stunt in 1995 at Phoenix High School. According to the officer, the only major wrinkle in Hanson�s story back then was his claim that he was an American Indian from an Apache reservation in New Mexico. "It went pretty much the same way: that he was home-taught by his mom, that she passed away, that he was homeless," Steigleder said. "He was getting services from them too before he was caught." Although Phoenix police Chief Bob Kershaw arrested Hanson on a variety of forgery-related charges, but court records do not indicate the case was prosecuted. Court records also indicate Hanson�s wife of three years divorced him last month. The court expedited the divorce after Hanson�s wife reported that his "increasingly disturbing" conduct and a recent theft conviction made her fearful for her safety. In an interview Tuesday afternoon, Hanson�s father, also named Dan, said his son has had some mental problems and is taking medication for it. His son is better known to friends and family simply as DC, short for Daniel Charles. Hanson Sr. said he knows his son needs help but, to date, they have not had a candid discussion about the situation. "He needs help," Hanson said of his son. "He�s not trying to hurt people, that kind of stuff ... but he definitely needs some mental help." Reach reporter Chris Bristol at 776-4487, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.