Former El Paso County deputy who disappeared for a year pretended to have cancer to solicit money, led double life, officials say

The Former El Paso County Sheriff’s Deputy Arrested for Alleged Theft, Fraud, and Misconduct

The former El Paso County sheriff’s deputy who went missing for a year before being arrested last month lied about having cancer and getting a divorce to solicit money from friends, family, and colleagues, and led a double life while married to two women, investigators allege in his arrest affidavit.

Charges and Arrest

Kevin Sypher, 57, is charged with two felony counts of theft and charitable fraud and two misdemeanor counts of misconduct. He was booked into the Teller County Jail on a $100,000 bail following his arrest on April 2, according to court records.

Investigation and Allegations

An investigation into Sypher’s conduct began in March 2023 after a doctor allegedly filed a complaint with the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office Internal Affairs Unit claiming that Sypher had asked for help with a fake crisis negotiation training scenario earlier that month.

During the scenario, the doctor called a “role player” and read a script provided by Sypher. The script stated that Sypher had several tumors and had recently stopped taking a chemotherapy drug used to treat cancer, officials said. The “role player” was later discovered to be Sypher’s second wife, according to the affidavit.

At the time the complaint was filed, Sypher was on medical leave for a recent procedure and was supposed to return to work around April 19, 2023. He was notified of the open investigation in March 2023, the affidavit states.

During the investigation, officials learned that at least seven people — including multiple law enforcement officers and the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 9 nonprofit — gave Sypher large sums of money after he claimed he had cancer and couldn’t afford to pay for treatment, according to the affidavit. He also married another woman while still married to his first wife and solicited money by claiming he was divorcing his first wife and his bank accounts were frozen, the sheriff’s office said.

Sypher married his second wife in March 2023 and “told her he had terminal cancer and convinced her to marry him as one of his last dying wishes so that he could live with her,” according to the affidavit. Sypher’s second wife also alleged that he staged scenarios, like a break-in, to make her feel unsafe in her home, the affidavit states.

False Claims and Financial Fraud

Between 2015 and 2023, Sypher reportedly told multiple people that he was sick with cancer and receiving treatment overseas. He told family members on Thanksgiving in 2022 that he had terminal cancer and, in April 2023, told his brother that he had pancreatic cancer and only a couple of months left to live, according to the sheriff’s department.

According to medical records from Penrose Hospital, where Sypher was treated in March 2023, and Premise Health, a records-sharing service contracted by the county, Sypher never reported a history of or received treatment for cancer and “no concern for cancer was ever found,” the affidavit states. Travel records indicated that Sypher had not left the country in more than a decade, according to officials.

Sypher received more than $20,000 in cash donations between March 2022 and March 2023, according to the affidavit. Officials say that credit card and bank statements show that Sypher spent the money on fast food, dance lessons, entertainment, and vacations with his second wife.

“Kevin Sypher used the donations he received from colleagues to live a double life, rather than to provide relief from true financial hardship caused by a divorce or paying for medical treatment out of pocket as portrayed,” the affidavit states.

Disappearance and Investigation

After his medical procedure, Sypher did not return to work on April 19, 2023, and requested a medical leave extension. Eight days later, he was reported missing in Parker by his second wife. He left his wallet and was seen on camera walking down the street carrying two trash bags after signing the title of his car over to his second wife’s daughter.

Officials, who believed Sypher had gone through a divorce before his second wedding, contacted his first wife to tell her Sypher was missing. The first wife, who had been living in California for at least two years, informed officers that they were not divorced and flew to Colorado to help with the search.

On April 29, 2023, Sypher was found by his first wife and eldest son at a hotel in metro Denver.

He disappeared again on April 30, 2023, after he was seen walking away from his vehicle in the Wild Basin area in Rocky Mountain National Park, according to a 2023 news release. Sypher’s missing persons case was closed by May 5, 2023, because of evidence that he was not missing in the national park and a lack of cooperation from his family, according to the arrest affidavit.

Employment and Arrest

Sypher was employed by the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office for 11 years and was fired in August 2023 following his disappearance four months prior. Sypher was not found until his arrest on April 2, 2024, according to officials.

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SDGs, Targets, and Indicators Analysis

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 1: No Poverty
• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
• SDG 5: Gender Equality
• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
• SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions

The article addresses issues related to poverty, health, gender equality, economic growth, inequalities, and justice.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• Target 1.1: By 2030, eradicate extreme poverty for all people everywhere.
• Target 3.4: By 2030, reduce by one-third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment and promote mental health and well-being.
• Target 5.4: Recognize and value unpaid care and domestic work through the provision of public services, infrastructure, and social protection policies and the promotion of shared responsibility within the household and the family as nationally appropriate.
• Target 8.5: By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including for young people and persons with disabilities, and equal pay for work of equal value.
• Target 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic, and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion, or economic or other status.
• Target 16.5: Substantially reduce corruption and bribery in all their forms.

The article highlights the need to address extreme poverty, reduce mortality from non-communicable diseases, recognize unpaid care work, promote decent work, reduce inequalities, and combat corruption.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Indicator 1.1.1: Proportion of population below the international poverty line, by sex, age, employment status, and geographical location.
• Indicator 3.4.1: Mortality rate attributed to cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, or chronic respiratory disease.
• Indicator 5.4.1: Proportion of time spent on unpaid domestic and care work, by sex, age, and location.
• Indicator 8.5.1: Average hourly earnings of female and male employees, by occupation, age group, and persons with disabilities.
• Indicator 10.2.1: Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income, by age, sex, and persons with disabilities.
• Indicator 16.5.1: Proportion of persons who had at least one contact with a public official and who paid a bribe to a public official, or were asked for a bribe by those public officials, during the previous 12 months.

These indicators can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets related to poverty, health, gender equality, economic growth, inequalities, and justice.

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators Table

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Fuente: denverpost.com

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