A Ronan man accused of stealing coins from the city of Ronan’s coin-operated water filling station admitted to the related charge.

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

According to charging documents, in February, the Ronan City Clerk determined money had not 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 allegedly captured 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 reportedly 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.

Judge Molly Owen set sentencing for Dec. 10. Atkinson is at liberty.