On Aug. 12, Jacqueline Kirby, the El Paso County Sheriffís Office public information officer, stated in an email that the fraud investigation involving Cherokee Metropolitan District and its acquisition of the water rights from Sundance Ranch has been turned over to the countyís district attorneyís office.According to the July issue of The New Falcon Herald, Cherokee general manager Sean Chambers worked with Rodney Preisser to obtain the water rights from Sundance Ranch for the purpose of bringing water down to distribute to CMD customers. However, Preisser did not own the water rights when he sold them to CMD.When Preisser did become owner of the water rights, he purchased them for $2 million, the article states. But CMD previously paid Preisser $3.475 million for the rights, leaving a balance of almost $1.5 million that supposedly went straight into Preisserís pocket.Steve Hasbrouck, former CMD board member, said he thinks Chambers and Preisser worked together and split the balance of $1.475 million.Kirby wrote that the DA will review the investigation to determine if there is a reason to press charges.
