CORTEZ – A pending felony embezzlement charge against a former Montezuma County undersheriff boils down to an automobile performance chip bought on the Internet.
Felony embezzlement and related misdemeanor charges were officially filed against Robin Cronk before Montezuma County Court Judge JenniLynn Lawrence on Wednesday. Represented by public defender Amy Smith, the county’s former undersheriff waived his right to a formal reading of the charges.
The 43-year-old Mancos resident is accused of purchasing items for personal use over an extended period of time using a taxpayer-funded, department-issued credit card, said a CBI spokesperson.
The initial complaint against Cronk was filed July 17, the same day he turned himself in to authorities on a single count of felony embezzlement of public funds and a single misdemeanor count of first-degree official misconduct.
During Wednesday’s proceedings, District Attorney Will Furse explained the embezzlement charge is in connection with the purchase of a performance chip installed on a Chevy Trailblazer that belonged to Cronk’s wife.
Credit card receipts obtained by the Cortez Journal earlier this month reveal that Cronk purchased two performance chips from an online vendor on March 26. The $143.95 credit card bill from gforcechips.com indicates performance chips were purchased for a 2006 Chevy Trailblazer and a 2009 Dodge Durango. Both were shipped to Cronk at the sheriff’s department.
Also Wednesday, Smith requested that Lawrence unseal the arrest warrant in the case, citing she couldn’t prepare an adequate defense for her client without knowing the full details in the case.
Furse opposed opening the arrest warrant, citing the case remained under investigation. He did agree to release information in the warrant pertinent to current charges.
Lawrence ruled that prosecutors must produce all relevant documents to defense counsel on the pending charges before the court. The warrant, however, remains sealed from public access, Furse said after the proceedings.
Smith also requested that Lawrence remove the protection order she imposed against her client at a bond hearing last week, which bars Cronk from any harassing communications with the entire Montezuma County Sheriff’s Office.
Smith argued the allegations of harassment couldn’t be corroborated.
“The protection order is warrantless,” Smith said. “Suspend it, vacate it or have a hearing about it.”
Furse argued that Cronk still is perceived as a leader by many in the sheriff’s office, and the protection order should remain. Then he requested the protection order be expanded, banning Cronk from having any communication with Deputy Vicky Pierce.
Furse told Lawrence that Cronk made back-to-back phone calls to Pierce on July 19. She reportedly ignored both calls. Moments later, after she entered Denny’s Restaurant, Furse said Cronk sent Pierce a text message, “How’s Denny’s?” The text intimidated and scared Pierce, he said.
Lawrence granted the defense request to lift the blanketwide protection order on the entire sheriff’s department, saying deputies should be informed that Cronk no longer is in a leadership role. However, she didn’t tolerate the alleged harassment against Pierce.
“That is akin to stalking-type behavior,” she told Cronk.
Her new protection order prohibits Cronk from any form of communication with Pierce and included instructions not to come within 100 yards Pierce.
Released on a $1,500 cash bond, Cronk is next scheduled to appear in court at 1:30 p.m. Aug. 20, when he will officially be arraigned before District Court Chief Judge Doug Walker.
The charges stem from a Colorado Bureau of Investigations probe of alleged misuse of county funds by Cronk.
According to county expense records, Cronk’s credit card purchases in March totaled nearly $1,300. In addition to the performance chips, Cronk made other online charges the same month, including a Bluetooth microphone, headlights and a cherry-wood coin holder. In March, he also charged four meals and made purchases at several area hardware, farm and department stores using the agency’s credit card, reports show.
Montezuma County Sheriff Dennis Spruell maintains a majority of the credit card charges made by Cronk was for legitimate, work-related issues. Any illegal activity committed will be disclosed and Cronk will be held accountable, he said.
Cronk was tapped as the Montezuma County undersheriff in 2011 when Spruell took command of the county’s top law-enforcement agency.
Cronk reportedly worked in the sheriff’s office, first as a deputy, for a total of four-and-a-half years before resigning from the agency last month after the credit card scandal.
tbaker@cortezjournal.com
