Sheridan County Man Changes Plea on Multiple Theft, Forgery Charges

A change of plea hearing was held Thursday in Fourth Judicial District Court in Sheridan for 60-year-old Richard Romeo. Pursuant to terms of a plea agreement reached with the state, Romeo pleaded guilty to two counts of felony theft and two counts of felony forgery. In exchange for the guilty pleas, the prosecution agreed to dismiss four additional counts of forgery as part of the plea agreement.

District Court Judge William Edelman advised Romeo that the plea agreement was not binding and the court could reject the plea deal altogether at sentencing. Edelman continued Romeo’s bond and told him he must contact probation and parole immediately to advise them of his guilty pleas and to begin the presentence investigation process. A date for sentencing was not set at Thursday’s change of plea hearing.

Between October of 2020 and December of 2021, Romeo obtained checks from a checkbook that did not belong to him and wrote a total of 83 checks out to himself by forging the account holder’s name on the checks. The checks totaled over $70,000.