STOCKTON, Utah, July 26, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — The former Stockton police chief has been charged with theft and fraud for allegedly over-billing the state for tens of thousands of dollars or more for DUI shifts during his tenure.
Travis Romney, 36, now with the Grantsville Police Department, was charged Tuesday by the Utah Attorney General’s Office with two counts of theft and one count of communications fraud, all second-degree felonies, alleged from 2016 to 2022.
Charging documents don’t say specifically how much money Romney allegedly pocketed from purportedly over-billing the Utah Department of Public Safety for DUI shifts. But they claim during the six years the state reimbursed Romney $228,441.36 for his DUI shifts while at the same time paying the town of Stockton $109,797.21 for same.
Romney’s monthly reports of DUI billings “significantly overstate the number of arrests he made each month” compared to records at the county jail, Tooele’s 3rd District Court and Tooele Justice Court, according to a probable cause declaration by a State Bureau of Investigations agent. The agent said he’s been investigating the case since February.
Stockton, a town of 700, fielded essentially a one man police department from 2016 to 2022 before he left the Stockton force in October for the Grantsville job. The Tooele County Sheriff’s Office has been providing coverage since then, although the Stockton town website still lists Romney as the police chief.
A warrant for Romney’s arrest has been issued, but his defense attorney filed a motion Tuesday requesting Romney be served a summons instead of booked into jail on the warrant, which carries a $50,000 bail note.
The defense argues prosecutors have provided no evidence Romney is a flight risk, or that his address is unknown or that he presents a danger to the community. The motion also notes Romney retained legal counsel “months ago.”
