Archive for Wednesday, December 21, 2011
New allegation surfaces against former Craig PD officer
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Frank Schmedeke
A new allegation has been made against a former Craig Police Department officer who was fired Dec. 16, authorities reported today.
Jeremy Ashton, a Moffat County Sheriff’s Office investigator, said an anonymous person reported to investigators that Frank Schmedeke, 37, engaged in a sexual relationship with a minor in the late 1990s in Mesa County.
Craig Daily Press policy is to withhold names of suspects connected to sexual-related offenses unless there is a conviction. The suspect’s name is being used today because he served as a police officer for eight years.
The police department terminated Schmedeke following an internal investigation, which was prompted by an alleged domestic violence incident Nov. 27 at his home in the 1100 block of Legion Street.
The former police officer was arrested in connection with the incident, but the 14th Judicial District Attorney’s Office later dismissed the case.
Ashton said the anonymous person stepped forward with the latest allegation during the sheriff’s office’s initial investigation into Schmedeke.
“It got brought to our attention,” Ashton said. “I conducted the initial investigation and I am in the process of proofing the new investigation. It will be forwarded to Mesa County and they will have to do the continuation because the (alleged) crime occurred in their jurisdiction.”
Moffat County Sheriff Tim Jantz limited his comments concerning the investigation.
“It’s outside of our purview and not within our jurisdiction, so basically we have started a courtesy investigation,” Jantz said. “It will be sent to their (Mesa County) agency to continue the investigation.
“Right now, there is no crime. People tend to say a lot of things. We’re going to send our info to Mesa County and it’s going to be up to them to decide whether or not to investigate it.”
Ashton said the alleged victim’s age, gender and relationship to Schmedeke would not be released.
“I can confirm that we are investigating it and Mesa County will be taking it over,” he said. “However, since it is an ongoing investigation, we will not be releasing any details at this time.”
Craig Police Chief Walt Vanatta said the new allegation had nothing to do with Schmedeke’s firing last week.
“It’s a personnel issue and I can only (relay) so much,” Vanatta said. “He (Schmedeke) was found to have violated some of our policies and his behavior was inconsistent with our values, and that’s why he was terminated.”
Ashton said he would be sending findings of his investigation to Mesa County authorities this week.
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Question of the week
Would you support Secretary of the State Scott Gessler if he ran for Colorado governor?
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22 December 2011 at 2:38 a.m.
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sljsmom (Anonymous) says…
So anyone can anonymously step up and say anything and if it is about the right person it will be investigated as a possible crime?
22 December 2011 at 5:48 a.m.
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Airborne (Anonymous) says…
“So anyone can anonymously step up and say anything and if it is about the right person it will be investigated as a possible crime?”
That's how many crimes are reported, anonymously.
Craig; Crime Stoppers in Craig. (970) 824-3535.
22 December 2011 at 1:20 p.m.
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Thefatguy (Anonymous) says…
OK JOE! If you do the math that makes Frank in his early 20's. With the 5 year rule that could mean that his girlfriend may have been in her late teens. That is not illegal. So you are smearing Franks reputation before you have any facts. That is POOR reporting!
I have known Frank for a while now. I know he's not perfect cause nobody is. But I really dont think he would have been able to become a police officer if he didnt have some credibility.
I really hope you are ready to report an oppology to Frank and his family after the truth is discovered.
Did you ever think about what this does to his family. His kids who have to go to school everyday to face their peers who only know what you say. And they believe it to be true. They can be totally humiliated. Thats not fair to his wife, who works with the public, who has to face all the ridicule from those who only see one side of the story.
Frank…You have at least one supporter out here!!
22 December 2011 at 3:07 p.m.
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Airborne (Anonymous) says…
“So you are smearing Franks reputation before you have any facts. That is POOR reporting!”
“But I really dont think he would have been able to become a police officer if he didnt have some credibility.”
Pat Sullivan had SOME credibility. Still, many things have been reported about him.
Reporters report, prosecutors decide to prosecute or not and a jury decides the outcome, or a plea bargain is made, should it come to that.
22 December 2011 at 7:50 p.m.
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CraigK (Anonymous) says…
Come on Craig Daily Press… do better than this. Unless there is evidence to back it up, you might want to hold off on making it public knowledge. Are you going to write an apology if this 'anonymous' report turns out to be false or inaccurate? Man oh man… people could really take advantage of this, start to slander all the public officials in craig by calling and making an anonymous report, especially if it gets put in the newspaper! Please consider the life you could be damaging by placing something like this in the paper. His children, his friends. If there is something to it, then it will be handled and write away. Otherwise shame on you!
22 December 2011 at 9:17 p.m.
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colorado155 (Anonymous) says…
Hey fatguy, if you are such a fan of Frank's, YOU do the math. In the 90s he was married to the mother of 3 of his children, so who is the underage girlfriend?? Furthermore, this article does not indicate whether the sexual relationship with a minor was consensual. I imagine this article was printed to get this information out to the public and perhaps other victims may come forward.
1 January 2012 at 9:01 a.m.
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Thefatguy (Anonymous) says…
That is my point colorado55. They didn't state whether it was a consentual act or not. They didn't state anything but what someone said about Frank. I really believe the paper has a responibility to have ALL the facts before putting anything on paper. And I didn't know Frank in the 90's. Guess I should have read the book huh?
The biggest question I have been hearing is, “Why did it take 20+ years for someone to step forward?” Kinda kills the credibility of the person doing the reporting if you ask me.
I wonder if the paper has to worry about slander lawsuits? HMMMM
1 January 2012 at 6:19 p.m.
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cory5611 (Anonymous) says…
Look at Penn State it took a long time to report
2 January 2012 at 10:24 a.m.
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wickedstepmother (Anonymous) says…
i think everyone should mind there own business thats a number one fact that runs rampant in craig,,,everyone has ther nose into everyones elses problems,,give him a break