An Orange County sheriff’s deputy accused of felony perjury has pleaded guilty to a reduced charge stemming from a falsified police report that overstepped jurisdictional lines.
Deputy Chad Renegar had faced a maximum of 56 months in state prison if convicted on charges that he falsely signed a police report under a trainee’s name and forged a theft victim’s signature.
Instead, he pleaded guilty on Oct. 1 to a misdemeanor count of failure to perform a police duty. He was sentenced to 120 hours of community service and a year of probation in lieu of prison time.
In his plea document, Renegar admitted that he had the victim of a license plate theft in Santa Monica sign a California Highway Patrol stolen property report. Santa Monica is in L.A. County, outside the jurisdiction of the O.C. Sheriff’s Department.
Upon realizing his error, Renagar allegedly told a trainee to change the incident location on the report from Santa Monica to Rancho Santa Margarita, within O.C., where the theft victim reportedly resided.
When the trainee refused, Renegar admitted to filing a second CHP form, typing the report under the trainee’s name and changing the location of the alleged theft to within Orange County.
He then forged the victim’s signature on the second form.
O.C. District Attorney Todd Spitzer said the case illustrated the importance of honesty in maintaining trust between county residents and law enforcement. “Dishonesty among the ranks of our law enforcement jeopardizes that trust and it will not be tolerated,” Spitzer said.
Renegar has been placed on paid leave from the O.C. Sheriff’s Department, where he pulled down nearly $300,000 in yearly salary and benefits.
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