Former Adams County sheriff pleads guilty in training records fraud scheme
DENVER (KDVR) — Former Adams County Sheriff Rick Reigenborn will not be allowed to serve as a peace officer in the state of Colorado after a sentencing hearing held Thursday, according to the Colorado Attorney General’s Office.
The office reported that Reigenborn pleaded guilty Thursday to one count of felony forgery, one count of second-degree forgery and one count of first-degree official misconduct, both misdemeanors, and was subsequently sentenced.
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The plea was part of an agreement offered by the prosecution, which also mandates the former sheriff to write an apology letter to the Adams County Sheriff’s Office employees and relinquish his state peace officer certification. In return, the prosecutors dropped a charge and lowered two charges to misdemeanors.
Reigenborn was also sentenced to serve 12 months in prison for the felony forgery charge and a concurrent 12-month sentence was imposed for the misdemeanor charges. However, both sentences are deferred.
Reigenborn was charged in September 2023 by the Attorney General’s Office alongside former Adams County Undersheriff Thomas McLallen and former Division Chief Michael Bethel for accusations that the trio had signed various training rosters for classes they did not attend and/or submitted training certificates to the Colorado Peace Officer Standards and Training. Their goal was to try and count the trainings toward their 2021 annual training hours.
The Attorney General’s Office noted that Colorado peace officers must complete at least 24 hours of annual in-service training, including at least 12 hours of perishable skills training in arrest control, driving and firearms. AG Phil Weiser is also the chair of the Colorado POST board.
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“We are committed to ensuring law enforcement integrity and that all law enforcement officers engage in necessary training. Former Sheriff Reigenborn failed to do that, undermined his professional obligations, and broke the law,” Weiser said in a release. “We are holding him accountable for these actions and sending a message that we take violations of training requirements very seriously.”
McLallen pleaded guilty and was sentenced in January for his role in the scheme. Bethel is still facing charges of forgery, attempt to influence a public servant, conspiracy to commit forgery and conspiracy to attempt to influence a public servant. Bethel is scheduled to appear in court on June 13.
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