Bingham County Sheriff set to resign Aug. 1

BLACKFOOT, Idaho (KIFI) - Bingham County Sheriff Craig Rowland will resign from office on Aug. 1, 2022.

Sheriff Rowland is facing felony charges for aggravated battery and aggravated assault and a misdemeanor charge for the exhibition of a weapon. It comes after an incident outside his home last November involving a church youth group.

In his resignation letter through his attorney's office, Rowland states, "I've become a distraction, Bingham County must press forward with the work at hand, and I do not want to impede that path. Recent events have, at a minimum, focused on me as an individual."

He goes on to write, "It is with a great deal of gratitude to the people of Bingham County that I now offer my resignation. The opportunity to serve the county in this position will always be a source of great pride."

Rowland's former attorney, Justin Olesen, withdrew himself from the case citing a breakdown in communication between the two.

A status conference with Judge Stephen Dunn, Rowland's new attorney, and prosecutors is scheduled for tomorrow, July 26th.

His resignation letter is below.