Gunnison Dentention Center guards appear in county court

“We’ll clean the house”

All five defendants in the cases involving alleged misconduct at the Gunnison County Detention Center appeared in Gunnison County Court on Tuesday, September 22 for an arraignment, during which the defendants and their attorneys were brought up to speed on the case.

All of the defendants were made aware of their rights and the charges against them.
Sergeant Melissa Rogers and Captain Michelle Zadra received the same charges of suspicion of first-degree perjury, conspiracy to commit perjury, first-degree official misconduct and false reporting to authorities. The most serious of the crimes is suspicion of perjury, which is a class four felony and carries a sentencing range of two to six years in county jail.
Zadra’s attorney, Art Trezise of Gunnison, says there is also a possibility that the judge will order probation that would be carried out with a minimum 90-day jail term.
Both will return to court for a status conference on Tuesday, October 20 with private counsel. They are currently free on bond.
Former sheriff’s deputy Tawnya Sponable is charged with conspiracy to commit perjury, first-degree official misconduct and conspiracy to introduce contraband, as well as false reporting, theft under $500 and possession of a schedule II controlled substance, according to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation. She will return to court, after choosing an attorney, for a status conference on Tuesday, October 6. She is also free on bond.
Sheriff Rick Murdie says that despite the arrest of those colleagues, morale in his department is holding together.
“Everybody’s attitude is good…but this is all new. I’ve never had to file charges and arrest people from our own department before. But it’s part of the job and if it comes to people in my own house, we’ll clean the house,” Murdie says.
Although the cases of the three current or former deputies got its start in County Court, because of the seriousness of the charges against them Trezise thinks they will move to District Court in the future.
Joseph Stromayer will return to court on Thursday, October 1 to face charges of introduction of contraband, conspiracy to introduce contraband, conspiracy to commit perjury, third-degree assault, intimidating a witness and conspiracy to intimidate a witness.
 He was released from the Gunnison County jail this month.
His ex-wife, Rachel, will also appear in court on Tuesday, October 6 to face a charge of conspiracy to intimidate a witness.