BUTTE — A southwestern Montana sheriff has been suspended for three months with pay after he was charged with official misconduct, perjury and evidence tampering in a case that led to a meth trafficking conviction.
The Montana Standard reports Madison County commissioners voted to suspend Sheriff Roger Thompson on Tuesday.
Thompson told the commission he accepts suspension, noting that “while these allegations remain unresolved they obviously create a distraction to the sheriff’s office.”
The state filed charges last week, claiming Thompson falsified information used to obtain a search warrant and lied under oath. The charges stem from a controlled drug buy in June 2017.
Thompson is scheduled to appear in court in Virginia City on Oct. 1.
Undersheriff Phil Fortner will assume Thompson’s duties pending resolution of the case.