Extortion, Bribery Charges Lodged Against IE Deputy

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA — The arrest last week of a Riverside County sheriff's deputy wasn't the only news of an Inland Empire law enforcement official being taken into custody.

At approximately 8 a.m. on Aug. 5, San Bernardino County deputy Cameron Steven Romo, 27, of Rialto, was arrested on suspicion of extortion and soliciting a bribe.

Two days later, Patch also reported that 41-year-old Riverside County deputy Michael Gene Schmidt was arrested and booked on suspicion of accessing confidential information from government databases for personal use.

The separate investigations into the lawmen were lengthy and appeared to be completely unrelated.

In June 2024, a citizen complaint was received about Romo, alleging he engaged in "on-duty criminal conduct," according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department.

An investigation ensued, and Romo was immediately placed on administrative leave pending the outcome, which eventually determined the deputy had conducted "multiple criminal acts while on-duty as a Deputy Sheriff, assigned to the Hesperia Station."

The investigation was forwarded to the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office. On Aug. 4, felony charges — soliciting a bribe and extortion — were filed against Romo, according to the sheriff's department.

An arrest warrant was issued, and Romo was taken into custody. Jail records show he posted a $90,000 bail bond the same day as his arrest.

Romo has been employed as a San Bernardino County sheriff’s deputy since September 2020 and has been assigned to the Hesperia Station since Aug. 2021.

"This is unfortunate that a Deputy Sheriff would engage in this type of behavior," said San Bernardino County Sheriff Shannon Dicus. "I am proud of all the investigators involved in bringing this case to the District Attorney’s Office so he can be held accountable."

The unrelated investigation into Schmidt began in early May 2025 when investigators started looking into the Riverside County lawman's computer access.

It was later determined he was accessing unauthorized and confidential information from government databases for personal use, according to the Riverside County Sheriff's Department.

Schmidt was arrested and booked Aug. 7 into the Presley Detention Center in Riverside on suspicion of unauthorized computer access. He was released the same day on $40,000 bail and was placed on administrative leave.

Schmidt has worked with the Riverside County Sheriff's Department since Oct. 2008 and was most recently assigned to the Lake Elsinore station.