A former criminal investigator with the Colorado Department of Corrections was sentenced Thursday to a year of probation for threatening fast-food workers at a drive-thru window over increased prices.
Gary Valko, 61, also must complete 100 hours of community service, and pay $1,149 in fines and fees, said Vikki Migoya, spokeswoman for the 18th Judicial District attorney’s office. A Douglas County jury in March found Valko guilty of one count of official oppression, a misdemeanor.
In September 2017, Valko was ordering food from a Jack in the Box restaurant in Parker when he got into an argument with the drive-thru worker over recent price increases. He claimed to be with the FBI when employees threatened to call the police.
Later that night, according to prosecutors, Valko pulled over the fast-food workers in his car, saying, “What if I pulled a gun on you? What if I had shot you?”
The Department of Corrections fired Valko in light of the incident.
