Lakeside Police Chief Robert Gordanier and his daughter, the city clerk, have been indicted by a grand jury on charges of embezzlement, theft and misconduct, police said. First Judicial District Attorney.
The grand jury investigation began afterward a CBS Colorado report discovered that Gordanier, who was also mayor of the small town of Jefferson County, signed off on purchasing police vehicles from other jurisdictions and selling them to his daughter, City Clerk Brenda Hamilton, for a fraction of their market value.
Hamilton would then resell the vehicles for a significant profit, according to reporting by CBS Colorado and confirmed Thursday by a news release from the district attorney’s office.
The city first purchased a black Dodge Charger at a law enforcement auction in March 2018 and sold it to Hamilton in July 2021 for $500, when its fair market value was $8,588, according to the district attorney’s office. Hamilton later resold the vehicle.
City officials then purchased a Ford Fusion from the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office at a discounted price in September 2021 and sold it three months later for $1,000 to Hamilton, who then sold it to a third party for $12,000.
And city officials purchased a Chevy Tahoe from the Glenwood Springs Police Department in 2017, which was then sold to Hamilton for $300 in September 2022. She then sold it for about $7,000.
The vehicles were sold to Hamilton with Gordanier’s approval, according to the district attorney’s office.
Hamilton is also accused of impersonating a police officer in July 2023 when she sat in a police vehicle and turned on the lights in an attempt to apprehend a suspicious person. She also used a city credit card to pay for her Costco membership and purchased nearly $500 worth of items at the store that were not for city use, the district attorney’s office said.
Lakeside is a town of 16 residents and consists largely of Lake Rhoda and the Lakeside Amusement Park.
Both Gordanier and Hamilton turned themselves in at the Jefferson County Jail and were released on bond. Hamilton will appear in court on August 2 and Gordanier will appear in court on August 6.
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