Former Mantua police chief arrested on suspicion of forged prescriptions

Shane Zilles. Photo: Cache County Sheriff's Office

LOGAN, Utah, Feb. 16, 2020 (Gephardt Daily) — Former Mantua police chief Shane Jacob Zilles was arrested Friday afternoon on suspicion of possession of altered or forged drug prescriptions.

Zilles, 50, was taken into custody and booked into the Cache County Jail. He has since been released on a $9,750 bond.

Zilles was arrested on February 6 for driving under the influence and driving on a suspended or revoked license. Court records show he also was arrested and charged with driving under the influence in August 2019.

In April 2019, he pleaded guilty to impaired driving, a class B misdemeanor, after being pulling over by troopers on Jan. 29 last year near the mouth of Sardine Canyon.

According to information from the Utah Highway Patrol at that time, Zilles was driving between 85 and 90 mph in a 65 mph zone when he was pulled over. He was driving in a Mantua Police patrol car, but without lights or sirens activated, according to trooper reports.

He initially pleaded not guilty, and in exchange for his revised plea, a charge of reckless driving, a class B misdemeanor, was dismissed with prejudice.

According to court records in that case, Zilles was given a choice of two days in jail or five days of community service. In addition to paying a $1,300 fine, he was placed on probation for 12 months and was prohibited from using drugs or alcohol during that time.

Zilles was fired by Mantua Mayor Michael Johnson shortly after the January 2019 arrest.

“We also hope that Mr. Zilles can work his way through this tough time and find a better path in the future,” Johnson said in a prepared statement at the time of Zilles’ firing. “It appears that prescription meds have claimed another good person’s reputation.”

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here