A Colorado Springs police officer has recently been arrested on suspicion of theft and forgery. The charges stem from the officer being paid for work not performed. As part of the payroll process, the officer reported he worked hours when GPS records show he was not working, but at home or other locations. When the officer filled out paysheet payroll forms, he represented falsely that he completed the work, when he did not. This is similar to cases we see where documents are falsified in Arapahoe, Douglas and Adams County.
When paperwork is signed and given to an official government agency, Forgery, C.R.S. 18-5-102, charges can result if the document signed is “a public record or an instrument filed or required by law to be filed or legally fileable in or with a public office or public servant.” In places like Jefferson, Denver, and Broomfield County, there is an additional requirement that the accused have the “intent to defraud” and that the accused “falsely make a written instrument” (document). Since the paysheet was filed with a police agency or public servant, it is seen as Forgery, a class 5 felony.
No one should rejoice when another person commits a crime, but I find it refreshing that the Colorado Springs Police Department did not sweep this offense under the rug and let the officer off. If this crime is provable, I think the officer should receive no special favor, but should be given a plea offer the same as anyone else with his criminal history. We’ll see whether the El Paso County District Attorney’s Office gives the officer special treatment or not. Since the officer’s employment file has a letter of thanks to the officer for his good work on a prior case, there appears to be a conflict of interest for the DA’s Office, and another DA from a nearby county like Las Animas or Baca County should take over.
If you are ever charged with Forgery, don’t speak with police. Instead, be smart, exercise your right to remain silent, and call the experienced attorneys at the O’Malley Law Office at 303-731-0719. Together, we can protect your future.