The Sheriff’s Department’s former second-in-command pleaded not guilty in federal court Friday to charges related to money laundering and embezzlement of roughly $500,000 in public funds.
Chris Radtke, who officially resigned Friday as chief deputy of the Pima County Sheriff’s Department, was indicted Sept. 28 on seven charges for allegedly misusing federal funds that were meant to be used for crime fighting and prevention purposes.
The conspiracy charge indicates other parties were involved, and the indictment mentions other persons “known and unknown to the Grand Jury”, but as of Friday no one else had been charged.
Accompanied by his attorney, Sean Chapman, Radtke was processed and booked prior to his hearing and released on his own recognizance by federal Judge D. Thomas Ferraro.
Sitting next to Radtke in court was Joe Decormis, a former sheriff’s lieutenant who resigned last December.
On Monday, Sheriff Chris Nanos sent out a news release saying that Radtke had been indicted and subsequently resigned from the department.
However, Radtke’s Oct. 13 letter to the department stated his resignation was effective Friday — four days after Nanos said Radtke had stepped down.
“That’s because he submitted it to me verbally on Monday and he came in to clear his office and submit it in writing yesterday,” Nanos wrote in a text.
On Wednesday, Nanos said that because the indictment had “shaken the department to its core,” he has ordered a comprehensive review of the department’s financial policies and procedures.
The indictment is linked to a situation first reported by the Star last November about Radtke’s niece taking over a cafe inside the department’s headquarters in 2012.
Officials initially said the $30,000 in equipment was paid for with funds seized during investigations under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act. Later, they said the money came from the county’s general fund.
The indictment said that from 2011 to 2016, Radtke and others misrepresented to the Pima County Attorney’s Office their use of forfeiture funds.
Radtke is scheduled to appear in court again Nov. 22 before U.S. District Court Judge James Soto.
