Facing felony charges of perjury, voter registration fraud and election fraud, Del Norte County's appointed sheriff announced his resignation Monday.

From Randy Waltz's letter of resignation to the Del Norte County Board of Supervisors:

Members of the Board,

Please consider this letter my formal resignation as the Sheriff of Del Norte County.

As all of you know, the District Attorney has filed formal charges against me alleging that I have violated various election laws by listing my address at a location in Del Norte County. What has not been reported, however, is that I had never legally ceased being a resident of this County since the County assisted me in relocating here to ultimately become Sheriff.

Furthermore, the address submitted on my paperwork and which forms the basis of these charges was the location I had legally secured to be my permanent residence prior to filing any lection paperwork. This fact is documented by a check I wrote to the owners of the property, which they deposited in January of this year, prior to my filing any paperwork.

That said, the vigorous defense of these charges will necessarily detract from my ability to perform my duties as Sheriff and, more importantly, will cast the staff of the Del Norte County Sheriff's Office in a negative light. These hard-working folks, who daily put their lives on the line to serve the public, deserve better.

Even prior to being appointed Sheriff of our County, I have had the great privilege to honorably serve in law enforcement for most of my adult life. Over nearly 30 years, all of which encompassed serving the people of the State of California, I have always believed that there is no higher calling than a career in law enforcement. It is a career which has allowed me, on a daily basis, to make a difference in people's lives and help to improve the world in which we live.

So long as these charges are pending, I believe the purpose for which I entered law enforcement is undermined. Furthermore, I have no intention of collecting pay from the County in the form of paid administrative leave while simultaneously not being able to perform the duties for which such pay is rendered.

Therefore, effective immediately, I submit my resignation. I thank the County of Del Norte for the opportunity to serve, and I feel confident that the Sheriff's Office is in capable hands going forward.

Documents:

• Randy Waltz's resignation letter

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