Montezuma County Undersheriff Robin Cronk is under investigation for discrepancies discovered in a credit card report.
Montezuma County Sheriff Dennis Spruell said Cronk was placed on paid administrative leave Tuesday as his office works with the Colorado Bureau of Investigations in the probe.
“This is an ongoing investigation of misconduct,” Spruell said. “The allegations involve misappropriated funds.”
The claims surfaced when officials found discrepancies in a credit card report. As of press time, no criminal charges had been filed in the case, Spruell said.
Under his leadership, Spruell said it was routine to place law enforcement officials on paid administrative leave while they are under investigation.
First serving as a deputy, Cronk has worked at the sheriff’s department for approximately four-and-a-half years. Following a civilian board interview process, he was tapped as undersheriff in Spruell’s administration.
“The civilian oral board interviewed four candidates for the undersheriff position, and (Cronk) came out on top,” Spruell said.
Cronk’s personal page on the social media site Linkedin.com reveals that previous to joining the MCSO, he worked as a reserve officer at the Albuquerque Police Department from March 2005 to August 2008, and served as a deputy with the Sandoval, N.M., County Sheriff’s Department from February 2004 to August 2008.
Also on the social media site, Shawn Hancock, an Albuquerque Police Department SWAT officer posted on April 10, 2013, this regarding his professional experience with Cronk: “Well balanced and the most squared-away law enforcement officer I’ve ever worked with.”
tbaker@cortezjournal.com
