The Lakeside police chief and his daughter, the town clerk, were charged this week with several felonies after prosecutors say the pair used public dollars to buy several used cars for the police department, resold them for higher prices and pocketed the cash.
For years, Robert Gordanier, the town’s police chief as well as its former mayor and fire chief, along with his daughter Brenda Hamilton, the town clerk, stole public money, impersonated a police officer and used public dollars for a personal Costco trip, according to an indictment unsealed Thursday and released by the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office.
The town of Lakeside is, according to the last census, the tiniest municipality in Colorado with a total area of roughly .2 square miles, half of which is water, and around 20 residents. It has a three-person police department, according to its website, that mostly patrols the Lakeside Amusement Park off of Interstate 70 and Sheridan Boulevard. It is wedged between Denver, Edgewater and Arvada.
Prosecutors allege that Hamilton, with Gordanier’s permission, purchased at least three used cars between 2017 and 2021 for the town’s police department. They often bought the cars at law enforcement auctions for greatly reduced prices or from other agencies below market value. Hamilton then would resell the car for a higher price and pocket the money.
Officials also said that between 2022 and 2023, Hamilton used the town’s Visa card to purchase her personal Costco membership and bought more than $400 worth of merchandise that wasn’t for professional use.
Finally, Hamilton, who was not a licensed peace officer, apparently drove a police cruiser and turned on its lights in the Lakeside Walmart parking lot in 2023. When a call came in for a suspected shoplifting, she attempted to pull a man over.
Hamilton is charged with impersonating a police officer and official misconduct, in addition to theft and embezzlement of public property. Her father, Gordanier, faces charges of theft, embezzlement and official misconduct.
Both turned themselves in this week and are out on personal recognizance bonds. They both have court appearances in early August.
