AURORA, Colo. — A former Aurora Police officer will serve 18 months in jail on work release to pay restitution for stealing from two charities that he served as treasurer.
Judge Ben Leutwyler sentenced Roland Albert Monday for stealing a total of $65,000 over a 15-month period from two charities that offer assistance for law enforcement families.
The charities that were impacted were Brotherhood for the Fallen and Aurora Police Orphans Fund.
“It is difficult to find words of condemnation commensurate with a person — a sworn police officer —who steals from charities to enrich himself,” said District Attorney George Brauchler. “He has forfeited the honorable title ‘police officer’ and he has earned the title ‘convicted felon.’ No person, law enforcement or otherwise, is above our laws.”
Internal Affairs officers with the Aurora Police Department were investigating Albert for another reason when they found a problem with one charity, according to the district attorney's (DA) office.
Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office was contacted and took over the investigation in August 2018.
Investigators found money missing from the charity starting in December 2017 and also looked into the other charity Albert was a part of since he was treasurer, the DA said. Authorities found more money was missing since May 2017.
The investigation revealed that Albert stole $57,613 from the first charity and $7,753 from the second charity, according to the DA.
In October 2019, Albert pleaded guilty to one count of theft of $20,000 to $100,000, which is a Class 4 felony. Other counts were dismissed as part of the plea agreement, the district attorney's office said.
“This officer deliberately took action 47 times to steal from charities that had entrusted him with their finances. These were organizations created to assist his fellow officers, and to which many of his colleagues donated,” said Senior Deputy District Attorney Steve Fauver, who prosecuted the case. “This man was stealing from his friends and coworkers and literally stealing from orphans – all while he was an officer sworn to uphold the law.”
On Monday, Judge Leutwyler sentenced Albert to five years of probation which includes 18 months of work release. He was also given a four-year suspended prison sentence reliant upon his successful probation completion.
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