Roosevelt deputy charged with receiving stolen property

TUCUMCARI — A Roosevelt County sheriff’s deputy was fired Monday and arrested Wednesday in Quay County after being accused of receiving stolen property.

Roosevelt County Sheriff Malin Parker on Wednesday also issued a press release in which he named Chris McCasland, 34, as a suspect in the theft of more than $8,000 from the sheriff’s evidence room.

The $8,254 was reported missing in January 2019.

McCasland has not been charged in connection with the missing cash.

State police arrested him on Wednesday morning on charges he stole a television set and other items found at his home in Portales.

McCasland was released from the Quay County Detention Center on a court order soon after his arrest. He faces up to 18 months in prison and up to a $5,000 fine. He could not immediately be reached for comment.

"Mr. McCasland is innocent of these charges," his attorney Dan Lindsey wrote in a text message on Thursday. "They come from allegations that are 6 years old. We look forward to exoneration at trial."

The news release from the Roosevelt County Sheriff’s Office states Parker reported the missing cash to state police for investigation after an internal audit. The police probe couldn’t find a responsible party.

Also in the sheriff’s news release:

In May, a deputy reported he could not find his duty-issued Glock .40-caliber handgun after a supervisor called for a routine weapons inspection. State police again were called to investigate.

State police reported to the sheriff that crimes were discovered after conducting interviews with McCasland and others. A search warrant was executed on McCasland’s home, and stolen items were discovered from another county where McCasland once worked as a police officer.

State police also told the sheriff the missing money possibly was linked to McCasland, based on witness interviews and purchases made.

McCasland was placed on immediate leave pending an internal investigation. The sheriff’s office subsequently found McCasland had an active warrant from Yuma County, Arizona, for failing to pay traffic tickets that he had not disclosed. A small amount of marijuana also was found in McCasland’s squad car.

An independent polygraph examiner in Amarillo with 43 years of experience questioned McCasland about the missing cash from the evidence vault. The examiner “reported deception in regards to the questions,” the news release stated.

McCasland was served a notice of termination Monday, and he resigned his post via third party the next day.

McCasland is a graduate of Tucumcari High School and the son of Quay County Commission Chairman Franklin McCasland.

Franklin McCasland declined to comment.

The money missing from the sheriff's department was not located, but Lindsey said the county paid him the $8,254 as part of his fee for representing the inmate whose money was stolen.