A Year of Turmoil: A Look at Who Left Reno-Area Government
Over the past 12 months, a large number of people in local government and publicly funded organizations have been arrested, charged with crimes, fired, placed on administrative leave, or quit.
Aug 18, 2026
Some people have been convicted of serious crimes. Others have been accused and are entitled to the presumption of innocence. Still others were never accused of crimes but lost their jobs or resigned following internal investigations or controversies.
What the cases have in common is their connection to public institutions: the City of Reno, Washoe County, the Washoe County School District, the library, the courts, law enforcement and organizations entrusted with taxpayer money.
Arrested, Charged, Indicted or Convicted
This is the most serious category. It includes people who were arrested or criminally charged, as well as several who were convicted. All are presumed innocent until convicted.
Justin Roper — Chief, Washoe County Department of Alternative Sentencing
Roper headed the county agency responsible for supervising defendants outside of jail. He resigned from the county after previously being placed on unpaid leave amid an investigation.
In August 2026, federal prosecutors indicted Roper on federal program theft charges, alleging he embezzled approximately $55,594 in federal grant funds administered through his department.
Bridget Robb — Washoe County District Court Judge
Robb abruptly announced her retirement in January after a Reno attorney obtained a protective order against her and accused the judge of repeatedly stalking her.
The matter subsequently became the subject of a criminal prosecution. Robb pleaded guilty to misdemeanor stalking and was ordered to pay $22,000 in restitution, perform 100 hours of community service and undergo counseling.
The Judge, the Senior Partner, the Junior Lawyer and the Scandal
Kenneth Ching — Washoe County Deputy District Attorney
Reno police arrested Ching in August 2025 on a charge of open and gross lewdness following an alleged incident at the Peppermill.
The District Attorney’s Office initially placed Ching on administrative leave. It transferred the case to the Carson City DA because of the conflict involved in prosecuting one of its own attorneys. Ching subsequently left the DA’s office.
Jamie Peek-Lopez — City of Reno Housing Coordinator
Peek-Lopez was arrested in March in a case involving allegations of embezzlement, obtaining money or property under pretenses, and exploitation of an older or vulnerable person. She was also named as a co-defendant in the same case involving Karma Box Project employee Jessica Hillman.
Joe Rodriguez — Sparks City Councilman and State Fire Marshal
Rodriguez occupied two public positions when he was arrested in February: elected Sparks City Council member and Nevada State Fire Marshal. He was arrested on suspicion of DUI after allegedly crashing a state vehicle in Sparks.
The Nevada Department of Public Safety subsequently fired Rodriguez from his position as Fire Marshal following an administrative suspension and internal review. He remained an elected Sparks council member.
Israel Cruz-Gonzalez — Washoe County School District Employee
Cruz-Gonzalez worked as site facilities coordinator at Gerlach K-12 School. The Washoe County Sheriff’s Office arrested him in November following an investigation involving alleged inappropriate conduct with a student. WCSD placed him on administrative leave after his arrest.
Kaly Krentz — WCSD Music Teacher
Krentz, a music teacher at O’Brien Middle School, was arrested in June following an investigation into money collected through school music fundraisers. She was booked on allegations of felony embezzlement and misdemeanor obtaining money under pretenses. WCSD placed her on emergency suspension without pay. Prosecutors subsequently declined to file charges at that time pending further investigation.
Caitlin Rock — WCSD Employee
A jury convicted the former WCSD employee in January on all 19 felony counts against her, including sexual assault of a child, statutory sexual seduction and using computer technology to lure a child for sexual conduct. Rock had met the victim while working at Billinghurst Middle School.
Tom Robinson — Reno Police Deputy Chief
Robinson spent 28 years with the Reno Police Department and served 12 years as a deputy chief before retiring in January 2024. In October 2025, he was arrested during an undercover human-exploitation operation after allegedly arranging online to pay for sex with someone he believed was a minor.
Taji Hillson — WCSD Substitute Employee
Hillson’s arrest occurred July 2, 2025. Hillson had worked as a substitute employee at Roy Gomm Elementary School. Reno police arrested Hillson in connection with allegations of sexual assault, sexual assault of a child under 14, and lewdness with a child under 14. WCSD said the allegations did not involve the school or its students.
The Taji Hillson Case: How A Psychic Led to a $5 Million Bail and a Year in Jail
Fired or Removed Following Investigations or Controversies
Several unusually senior Reno-area officials lost their jobs during the past year following investigations or controversies. Their inclusion here should not be interpreted as an allegation that they committed crimes.
Kathryn Nance — Reno Police Chief
Reno placed Police Chief Kathryn Nance on paid administrative leave after the city received allegations involving violations of city policy. In May, City Manager Jackie Bryant fired Chief Nance. The city has not revealed what the violations were.
Oliver Miller and Anthony Elges — RPD Assistant Chiefs
Reno fired Assistant Chiefs Oliver Miller and Anthony Elges. The city described the three terminations as without cause and did not publicly disclose the underlying allegations.
Here's What the Data Reveals About Reno Police Sex Trafficking Reporting and the Scandal
Mikki Huntsman — Reno City Clerk
Huntsman was placed on administrative leave while an HR investigation was conducted. In August, the Reno City Council voted to remove her. Huntsman’s was formally terminated without cause. Whatever personnel issues preceded the decision are undisclosed.
Jeff Scott — Washoe County Library Director
Scott abruptly resigned in April 2025 shortly before the Library Board was scheduled to consider his performance review. His departure was followed by Stacy McKenzie taking over the system.
Stacy McKenzie — Washoe County Library Director
McKenzie took charge of the Washoe County Library System after Director Jeff Scott resigned in April 2025. In August, McKenzie went on leave without the county explaining why. She was subsequently fired in November.
Aziz Merchant — Washoe County Deputy District Attorney
Merchant was fired in November 2025 after local attorneys drew attention to videos he had posted on social media, which included discussions about women, divorce and firearms. The DA’s office called his personal posts inconsistent with the office’s principles.
Judge Connie Steinheimer — Second Judicial District Court.
Steinheimer remains an elected Washoe County District Court judge, but she has been sidelined from judicial duties since February 23, 2026. Chief Judge Egan Walker issued an administrative order prohibiting her from taking action on any pending or active cases. The court has declined to disclose the reason for the action.
How Reno's and Washoe’s Leadership Moves Between Jobs
The People Who Left Under Unusual Circumstances
Sometimes an official isn’t arrested or publicly fired. The announcement says that the person resigned or retired. Only later does the public learn that something had been happening behind the scenes.
Dana Searcy — Washoe County Homeless Services Director
Searcy abruptly left her position overseeing Washoe County’s Housing and Homeless Services operation in September 2025. At the time, the county said she had resigned but provided little explanation. Months later, a 68-page confidential county investigation report dated August 18, 2025 surfaced, reportedly finding that Searcy had violated county codes of conduct and identifying problems involving management and county resources.
Eric Brown — Washoe County Manager.
Brown announced his retirement June 10, 2025, several months before his contract was scheduled to expire. His departure followed a consulting review of the County Manager's Office that identified leadership communication problems. The county officially said he was retiring to pursue other opportunities.
Cari-Ann Burgess — Washoe County Interim Registrar of Voters.
In September 2024, the county characterized her absence as medical/stress leave. Burgess disputed that account, saying she had been forced out after refusing personnel changes sought by County Manager Eric Brown’s office. She said she wanted to remain employed, including returning to her deputy position, but wasn’t permitted to do so. Burgess subsequently sued Washoe County.
The Washoe Registrar of Voters and the Revolving Door
Public Contractors and Public Money
Stephen Kromer — Uprise LLC
Uprise was involved in a government-funded broadband project near Lovelock. A federal grand jury indicted Kromer on 16 felony counts in June. Federal prosecutors allege he embezzled more than $7.8 million. The charges include theft of government property, theft of federal program property, and money laundering. He also faces a Nevada case involving 31 felony theft charges related to the project.
Jessica Hillman — Karma Box Supervisor
Hillman was arrested in March on allegations including exploitation of an older or vulnerable person, embezzlement, isolation of an older or vulnerable person, and falsely obtaining money, property, or labor. She was listed as a Karma Box supervisor at the time.
Eddie Luna — Karma Box Employee
Luna was arrested in February after allegedly pistol-whipping someone, threatening people with firearms, and firing shots into the air.
The incident prompted lockdowns at nearby schools and the Cares Campus. Karma Box immediately terminated Luna following his arrest.
Mat Grimsley — Karma Box Safe Camp Supervisor
Grimsley, who had been identified as the Safe Camp supervisor, was booked into the Washoe County jail in November on a third-offense domestic battery charge.
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These Were Not Low-Level Positions
Taken individually, these cases could be dismissed as unrelated personnel and criminal matters. Taken together, something else becomes apparent. Consider the positions involved: a District Court judge, police chief, two assistant police chiefs, deputy police chief, two deputy district attorneys, city clerk, county department chief, county homeless-services director, state fire marshal and elected city councilman, housing coordinator, library administrator, firefighter and multiple school district employees. Then add the people working for organizations entrusted with substantial public funds. This is turmoil at the highest levels.
The Unusual Pattern of Circumstances
Some people on this list were convicted. Some were accused. Some were fired without cause. Some resigned under circumstances that later became clearer. Sometimes the arrest makes the news. Sometimes the firing makes the news. Sometimes all the public is told is that someone has decided to move on. Some cases only became visible after an internal investigative report surfaced months after the departure. If the public announcement had been the end of the story, residents would have known only that a senior official had left their position. That raises the possibility that the cases we know about aren’t necessarily the complete list.
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