WILLMAR -- Former Meeker County Deputy Sheriff Roberts Hall Pace III, 36, of Litchfield, pleaded guilty Tuesday in Meeker County District Court to a misdemeanor charge of using unauthorized computer access to penetrate a security system.
Pace was fined $200 and ordered to pay $87 in fees, which he did Wednesday, according to court records. The charge was filed against Pace in March after a 10-month investigation by the Dakota County Sheriff's Office into a May 2006 report from another Meeker County deputy that someone illegally entered his Sheriff's Office computer account and forwarded an e-mail to other members of the department. The e-mail involved union business and details about problems the union was having with the administration.
During the investigation, authorities were able to trace the unauthorized access to the account to a laptop issued to Pace. He was put on unpaid personal leave on Jan. 26, and on May 21 voluntarily resigned his position with the Sheriff's Office.
He had worked full-time for Meeker County since March 1998.The case was prosecuted by Stearns County Assistant County Attorney Michael Lieberg to avoid a conflict of interest.
