Steve Atwood was an Adams 12 Five Star Schools success story: a star athlete who returned to his hometown as a teacher and athletic director. But he also was robbing the school district blind.
The exact amount Atwood stole isn’t known and probably never will be. The best estimate is at least $190,000 — money stolen from student funds, gate receipts from athletic events and taxpayer money.
On Thursday, Atwood stood in a courtroom with two other men who grew up in the Thornton area and went through the same school system: Adams 12 Superintendent Chris Gdowski and Adams County District Judge Chris Melonakis.
“It’s terribly sad, Mr. Atwood, to see someone who has come as far as you have to disgrace yourself,” Melonakis said. “It’s a terrible failure on your part.”
Prosecutors requested jail time for the felony embezzlement charge Atwood pleaded guilty to earlier this year.
But Melonakis chose seven years of probation and 90 days of work release for Atwood — after castigating him for failing to be a good role model.
![[prison 19] Caption: This is Cellhouse 1, Pod A, from ground level inside the Sterling Correctional Facility which is located outside of Sterling, Colorado Thursday afternoon. Photographer: LEW SHERMAN Title: FREELANCE Credit: SPECIAL TO THE POST City: Sterling State: CO Country: USA Date: 19990617 ObjectName: prison 19 Keyword: PUBDATE____1999_06_22](/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/20151207__denverpostp1.jpg?w=538 "20151207__denverpost~p1.jpg")
