DENVER (KDVR) — On Wednesday, the former Adams County sheriff and members of the staff at his department were charged with fraud.

Former Adams County Sheriff Richard Reigenborn, former Undersheriff Thomas McLallen and former Division Chief Michael Bethel are accused of falsifying records claiming they completed mandatory annual training hours in 2021.

According to an arrest affidavit, investigators also claim that Bethel took some of McLallen’s training courses on his behalf.

“A foundation of effective policing is reliable and sound training. Well-trained officers build community trust and confidence in law enforcement. We’ll continue to take seriously any allegation of efforts to disregard state-mandated training or submit fraudulent training records to POST,” Attorney General Phil Weiser said in a press release.

Officers are required to complete a minimum of 24 hours of annual in-service training, such as training in arrest control, driving and firearms. According to state law, it is illegal to knowingly violate training protocol.

All three are charged with felony counts of forgery. If convicted, the officers face revocation of their POST certification.