Ben Boloff | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 1893 |
| Died | October 12, 1932 (aged 38–39) Portland, Oregon, US |
| Cause of death | untreated tuberculosis |
| Resting place | River View Cemetery |
| Nationality | Soviet Russian |
| Citizenship | Transcaucasian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic |
| Occupation | laborer |
| Height | 1.6 m (5 ft 3 in) |
| Political party | Communist |
| Criminal charge | criminal syndicalism |
| Criminal penalty | ten years imprisonment |
| Criminal status | charges suspended after 15 months |
Ben Boloff (1893 – October 12, 1932) was a Soviet Russian communist who resided in Portland, Oregon. An illiterate Jewish laborer, Boloff was arrested in 1930 under Oregon's criminal syndicalism statute, which made it illegal to be associated with communist or anarchist groups. Boloff was the first person to be tried under the statute since its implementation during the First Red Scare. He was arrested with 12 other suspected communists, but was the only one to be sentenced to prison.
While imprisoned at the Oregon State Penitentiary, he contracted tuberculosis and was denied treatment. He was released from prison after fifteen months on a suspended sentence, which was issued by the original circuit judge that sentenced him. He died on October 12, 1932, and his supporters called it a murder by the State of Oregon. His funeral attracted several socialist and communist supporters as they carried Boloff's coffin through the street. Despite being a citizen of Transcaucasian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic, Boloff was never deported after being convicted and was eventually buried in his adopted hometown of Portland.