Oregon Public Broadcasting

The Oregon State Court of Appeals granted an emergency stay Friday, keeping a prominent Bend real estate investor out of jail.

Tami Sawyer, and her husband, are reportedly the subjects of state, FBI and IRS investigations.

Ethan Lindsey reports from Bend.

The court decision keeps Tami Sawyer out of jail for seven days, at least, while the Salem court decides whether she is in contempt of court in Bend.

Tami and Kevin Sawyer are accused of bilking several friends and investors of more than $1 million.

Kevin Sawyer is a former Bend police captain.

A judge has already ruled that a company the two own must repay a $900,000 investment.

But in that case, the Sawyers have refused to answer questions in a debtor exam, pleading fifth amendment rights -- and have not turned over documents requested by the court.

A Bend judge last week ordered them to relinquish their passports and said Tami Sawyer would go to jail if she didn’t start talking.