Cop Caught Stealing Care Packages
Grandpa sent you a care package that “disappeared” in the mail? Maybe someone else needed more care than you. Juan Jose Romero, 54, a former Adams State University police officer, was recently convicted of stealing a college student’s care package from the campus mailroom.
Granddaughter Samantha Sergent, a student at Adams State, never received Norman Cwicky’s care package from Phoenix, Ariz. Cwicky had sent a package through priority mail with a $25 Wal-Mart gift card, a roll of quarters, M&M candies, lip balm, lotion and other miscellaneous items to Sergent. When she told him she never received it, he contacted the Adams State police with the serial number from the Wal-Mart gift card, having kept it for his records.
ASU’s police chief contacted the Wal-Mart, which led to the loss prevention officer providing video surveillance footage – and a woman (later identified as Romero’s wife) was seen redeeming the gift card at the Alamosa Wal-Mart, in the company of a man the ASU chief recognized as one of his own officers, Juan Romero. The ASU chief contacted the U.S. Postal Inspector to continue the investigation.
Romero initially denied stealing the package, but later admitted he had taken it and other mail from the college mailroom on about three occasions. Twice he used his key to access it, and the other time he went into the unlocked mailroom and stole mail.
Romero was sentenced to two years probation and ordered to pay $50 restitution to the victim. He could have been sentenced to 60 months imprisonment – stealing U.S. postal service property is a federal offense. Even though Romero admitted that at the times he stole the mail, he was working as a sworn police officer for ASU, his charges did not include an “abuse of position of trust” adjustment. The plea agreement stated, “The defendant’s position as a police officer did not contribute in a significant way to facilitating the offense.”
Saguache County X File?
There was much confusion over a reported missile crash in Saguache County on Sept. 13, with Colorado State Patrol receiving a report of a plane crash and NORAD stating it may have been an illusion.
White Sands Missile Range conducted a test that launched a Juno missile from Fort Wingate near Gallup N.M., which flew to White Sands Missile Range to be intercepted by the PAC-3.
A 911 report was called in as to what the observers believed was a plane crash in Saguache County around 6:40 a.m., according to Colorado State Patrol spokesman Trooper Josh Lewis. Lewis said officials at the U.S. Army’s White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico reported that it was a test missile.
However, Public Affairs Specialist Cammy Montoya at White Sands told 7NEWS the missile was not theirs and that the Juno performed as expected. NORAD also said that nothing crashed in Colorado that morning.
Trooper Lewis said he did not have an exact address for the crash because White Sands told State Patrol to “stand down.” NORAD told 7NEWS in Denver that the crash report could have been a mistake due to an optical illusion.
Underwear Bandit
An accused thief was so shocked to find an Alamosa police officer in his grandmother’s house on August 10, that he ran outside into the city streets right after a shower – wearing only his underwear – while trying to evade felony warrants. Jordan Anthony Impastato, 18, Alamosa, picked up additional charges in the process.
Jail Time for Former Sand Dunes Employee
A former employee of the Great Sand Dunes National Park was sentenced on Sept. 21 to 2 3/4 years in prison.
Lydia L. White admitted to having written 870 National Park Service checks to her husband totalling $731,009. She also admitted to using a government credit card to steal an additional $7,461 from the park. The judge ordered her to repay the $731,009 and serve three years of supervision by a court officer after her release from prison. White was employed by the park from 2006 until Oct. 2011 when she was indicted by a federal grand jury.
Unprepared D.A. Riles Judge
A Saguache couple temporarily avoided sentencing for a string of burglaries after Deputy District Attorney Rob White failed to provide the court with a solid restitution amount, according to the Valley Courier.
12th Judicial District Judge Martin Gonzales was not pleased. “I am not playing this game. Don’t you (White) ever come to me again with a stipulation that is not complete.”
Sentencing continuation for Richard Basinger and his wife, Carrie Dean, both of Saguache, was set for Nov. 16.
