FORMER FEDERAL PROBATION OFFICER SENTENCED
FOR FALSIFICATION OF COURT RECORDS

WASHINGTON, D.C. – J. Clayton Bedell, a former United States Probation Officer for the District of Colorado, was sentenced today to three years supervised probation, 360 hours of community service, and a $1,500 fine for falsifying court records and subsequently lying about it to investigators, the Justice Department announced. The sentencing took place before U.S. District Court Judge Walker Miller in the District of Colorado.

On June 7, 2002, Bedell pled guilty to making false statements. Bedell was a Probation Officer in the District of Colorado from September 1993 until April 2001, when he resigned his position after admitting falsification of official court records.

From April 1999 until March 2001, Bedell repeatedly falsified official Probation Office records to conceal his failure to contact and perform drug tests on probationers over whom he had supervisory duties. As part of his scheme, Bedell created records of fictitious personal contacts with probationers, employers, and family members, and he also falsely reported the collection and testing of urine specimens.

This case was prosecuted by the Public Integrity Section of the U.S. Department of Justice and was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

###

02-566