Grand Jury Indicts Former El Paso County Sheriff Terry Maketa

Credit Staff Photo / El Paso County

Former El Paso County Sheriff Terry Maketa has been indicted by a grand jury on nine counts, including six felony charges and three misdemeanors.  Also named in the indictment are former Undersheriff Paula Presley on all nine charges, as well as former Commander Juan "John" San Agustin on two counts.

Charges include extortion, tampering with a witness or victim, second degree kidnapping, false imprisonment, and official misconduct.

Maketa officially resigned from office in December 2014 under allegations of sexual misconduct and favoritism shortly before his term ended.  El Paso County Commissioners have approved a number of settlements in claims brought against Maketa and Presley.

El Paso County Commissioners released the following statement:

"We appreciate the work of the investigators, and the care they took in this case. We thank the citizens who were on the Grand Jury for their time and effort and appreciate their careful consideration of the evidence. Given the fact there are now criminal cases involving former Sheriff Terry Maketa, former Undersheriff Paula Presley and former Commander Juan San Augustin it would be inappropriate to comment further, as we do not want to in any way influence that criminal process."

Current El Paso County Sheriff Bill Elder released a statement, saying he will not comment on the indictment or charges, and that members of the sheriff's department continue to do their jobs "with professionalism and dedication."  Sheriff Elder says he was contacted by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation soon after taking office, and "committed to cooperating fully with that investigation."

A court date has not yet been set.