Imposition of sentencing was deferred for three years in District Court Dec. 10 for Christopher Alan Atkinson, who admitted to stealing coins from the City of Ronan’s coin-operated water filling station. He’s required to pay restitution of $4,500.

Atkinson, 47, entered a plea of guilty to felony theft in District Court in Polson Oct. 22.

According to charging documents, in February, the Ronan City Clerk determined no money had been deposited from the coin-operated water system since November 2022. It was Atkinson’s job to do this task.

Ronan’s Police Chief Robert Jacobson and Sgt. Brandon Smith set up a surveillance camera that shows images of Atkinson collecting the coins on two occasions without delivering them to city hall.

When confronted about the coins, Atkinson initially denied taking them. When told about the surveillance camera, he admitted to taking $400, but later said it was more like $2,000.

The clerk determined that during a similar time frame, the city would collect about $4,500, the amount of restitution ordered by Judge Owen.