Former Colorado officer charged in alleged double-dipping scheme; "Accountability applies to everyone," says chief
A former police sergeant in Lakeside, Colorado, Howard Prince, is facing 53 criminal charges after prosecutors accused him of being paid by the town and an outside employer for working the same hours.
In January, a CBS Colorado investigation reported that Prince was being paid to patrol in Lakeside while records showed he was also being paid $95 an hour to work security at a nearby Walmart.
Ten months after that investigation, and after Prince was fired, the Jefferson County District Attorney has charged Prince with felony theft, official misconduct and 51 counts of forgery, according to state court records.
Lakeside Police Chief Kenneth Fountain said, "The allegations in this case do not reflect the standards, values or level of policing expected of the Lakeside Police Department. The authority entrusted to police officers carries with it an equally significant responsibility to act lawfully, ethically and with integrity. Accountability applies to everyone, including those who wear our badge."
CBS Colorado attempted to reach Prince Tuesday morning but did not receive an immediate response.
At one point, Prince's lawyer said the misconduct resulted from side effects of medical treatments he was receiving.
"At no time did he intend to commit any of the infractions alleged, and at no time did anyone bring this issue to his attention in order for it to be remedied," wrote Prince's lawyer.
In Prince's termination letter, Chief Fountain wrote, "You falsified time worked, received dual compensation from off duty employers and the Town of Lakeside for the same time periods and put down unauthorized overtime for compensation."
In that same letter, Fountain wrote that Prince admitted to unauthorized overtime and said, "You also stated that you did not know why you falsified your time."
Prince had more than 30 years of law enforcement experience before joining the Lakeside Police Department in 2022.
Lakeside is a small town in Jefferson County on Denver's border. The town has 16 full- and part-time police officers.
Fountain joined Lakeside as police chief in 2025. During his first week, he initiated an audit of employee time records that raised questions about Prince's work schedule, according to Tim Flynn, Lakeside's attorney.
After finding irregularities, Lakeside asked another police department to investigate the records, leading to the criminal charges.
Lakeside's town attorney previously told CBS Colorado that the department would audit its workers' time records every six months and review time records every two weeks to avoid future problems.
Court records show bond for Prince is set at $10,000.
