Daimler Truck North America sued a former Oregon employee this week, alleging he embezzled nearly $3.8 million from the company over five years.
The former fleet supervisor allegedly used the money to pay for vacations to Europe and to Legoland, for landscaping projects at his family’s home in Hillsboro and to pay for gas and for dozens of meals delivered by Uber Eats.
Daimler Truck alleges Terry Watson falsified billing records and used company credit cards for personal expenses to perpetrate an “extensive scheme to defraud the company.” The company also sued Watson’s wife, Krystal, asserting she knew about the alleged theft and used company credit cards for her own expenses.
Daimler also sued a construction firm and a landscaper, accusing them of doing work at the couple’s home and sending the bills to the company’s offices in North Portland.
The Watsons could not be reached for comment. It’s not clear if they’re represented by an attorney. A construction firm and landscaping firm with the same names as those identified in Daimler’s suit said they weren’t familiar with the accusations.
Daimler said it “takes the misappropriation of company resources seriously and is pursuing these matters through the court.”
Citing the pending litigation, Daimler declined to answer questions — including about whether the company has reported the allegations to police. There is no record of Oregon criminal charges against the Watsons in connection with the case.
Daimler Truck’s North American headquarters are on Swan Island, where it engineers new truck designs. The company has long manufactured Freightliner and Western Star trucks there, too, but is in the process of shutting down those production lines and moving the work to factories in North and South Carolina.
Terry Watson started work with the truck manufacturer in 2016 and had worked in the company’s Portland test fleet operations, according to the lawsuit. It says he continued working there until the company fired him last November, after it uncovered suspicious activity.
The company alleges Watson and a former supervisor, whom it doesn’t identify, collaborated to use Watson’s credit card for personal expenses. It says Watson billed the company for personal expenses, describing them as “Materials/Tools” and “Safety Equipment,” and took gift cards intended for employee recognition, sometimes selling them for cash.
Daimler accuses Watson of using the money to pay bills to law firms and real estate firms, spas and sports clubs and housecleaners. It says he also used the money for preschool and afterschool care, vacations to Las Vegas, Legoland and Europe, restaurants and meal delivery.
Watson’s wife, Krystal, allegedly used another employee’s corporate credit card “for personal purchases on Uber Eats on a near-daily basis.” The suit alleges that Krystal Watson sent 35 emails to her husband in October 2025 itemizing grocery, takeout and other personal expenses charged to the corporate credit card.
In November 2025, Daimler said it was alerted to suspicious activity on that employee’s credit card and then uncovered the Watsons’ alleged fraud. The company’s suit seeks $6.6 million in total damages plus legal fees.
Aimee Green contributed to this report.
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