Former Montezuma County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Adam Alcon appeared in court Wednesday for the first time after allegedly stealing sheriff’s department equipment earlier this year.
Alcon, who was fired from the department on April 24, faces charges of theft between $2,000 and $5,000, a Class 6 felony, and first-degree official misconduct, a Class 2 misdemeanor.
Alcon appeared for a short arraignment hearing in Montezuma County Court before Judge Arthur Smith, who was filling in for Judge JenniLynn Lawrence. He was advised of his rights and of the criminal charges he faces. Alcon was represented by Durango attorney David H. Greenberg.
According to District Attorney Will Furse, Alcon could face 12 to 18 months in the Department of Corrections and/or a fine of $1,000 to $100,000 for the Class 6 felony if he is convicted. A Class 2 misdemeanor is punishable by 3 to 12 months in jail and/or a fine of $250 to $1,000.
Alcon is suspected of stealing sheriff’s department equipment between Jan. 1 and April 1, including an ITT night vision goggle set, a patrol rifle scope and about 200 rounds of .223-caliber ammunition, in order to sell them to outside parties.
Alcon had worked as a full-time patrol officer for the sheriff’s office for 11 years when he was fired.
According to performance evaluations obtained by The Journal, Alcon was average in most areas of law enforcement throughout his career, such as problem-solving and investigative skills. Early evaluations of his time in the detention division mentioned that he was “quick to pull out the (restraint) chair and Taser,” but not in a way that broke department policy.
Alcon rose through the ranks of the department, starting as a part-time employee in 2002 and earning the rank of sergeant by 2012, according to the performance evaluations. Supervisors commented that he was a good candidate for a leadership role in the department.
By 2010, Alcon had risen to the rank of corporal, and by 2012 he had become a patrol sergeant, according to the evaluations. He transferred to the detective division in 2014, which had been his goal for some time, according to that year’s report. His last performance evaluation, in 2015, was the first to say he exceeded office standards on taking care of agency resources.
Alcon started with the department as a community corrections deputy in 2002. He also worked as a detention deputy, focusing on court security, detention and inmate transportation, before becoming a full-time patrol officer in 2006, according to his performance evaluations.
In his 2007 evaluation, the first report completed after Alcon became a full-time deputy, Alcon wrote that he was optimistic about the future.
“It has been a great first year to what hopes to be a promising career with (the Montezuma County Sheriff’s Office),” he wrote in the self-evaluation portion of the report.
In Alcon’s 2009 performance review, then-Sgt. Jason Spruell gave the deputy high praise all around. Spruell wrote that Alcon was a “great asset” to the sheriff’s office.
“I wish we had more employees with Deputy Alcon’s drive and attitude,” Spruell wrote in the report. Spruell, the son of former Montezuma County Dennis Spruell, is now the Mancos marshal.
Another former Montezuma County lawman, Reuben Liska, faces an official misconduct charge in connection with a Jan. 21 incident in which he allegedly had “inappropriate physical contact” with someone who reported a crime, according to Furse. Liska is scheduled for a pretrial conference in Montezuma County Court on June 20.
The Journal reporters Stephanie Alderton and Jacob Klopfenstein contributed to this report.This article was reposted on June 1, 2017, to correct the rank of then-Sgt. Jason Spruell.