Sheriff Magrini to step down, take on role as Assistant County CEO

June 11, 2021 Trevor Montgomery

SHASTA COUNTY, Calif. — In a surprising move less than two years after being appointed to the top law enforcement official in Shasta County, Sheriff-Coroner Eric Magrini announced he will be stepping down from the position to become assistant CEO for the county. The announcement follows on the heels of his deputies issuing a vote of no-confidence against him earlier this year. Undersheriff Jason Barnhart will be taking over as acting sheriff after Magrini’s departure.

Magrini was appointed to his current position by the Board of Supervisors in December 2019, following the retirement of former Sheriff Tom Bosenko. He had previously served as undersheriff since 2015. His last day at the sheriff’s office will be June 19th and he will be receiving his oath office from Supervisor Leonard Moty the following day.

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County CEO Matt Pontes said Magrini applied for the position after it opened up earlier this year and that he quickly rose to the top of the applicants.

Pointing to Magrini’s experience as sheriff and undersheriff as an example of his administrative experience, Pontes said Magrini’s contacts in the community and his experience of running a large department with a multi-million budget will serve him well in his new position.

“He definitely rose to the top, we had a lot of really good applicants, and with the board (of supervisors) and community focused on public safety, I was looking at all of his administrative experience, and he just kind of rose to the top. He’s also got a lot of connections in the community,” Pontes explained.

During a recent Board of Supervisors meeting Magrini described the county’s top priorities for the coming year, including continuing to seek out and eradicate illegal marijuana grow operations throughout the county and building a new, modern detention facility with integrated mental health treatment.

To that end, Magrini has explained that the new detention facility would focus on three elements; including incarceration, mental health, and drug rehabilitation.

“I couldn’t be happier with the choice of Eric Magrini as our new Assistant CEO,” County Supervisor Les Baugh wrote in a social media post after the announcement.

Saying some of the County’s biggest issues include jail bed space and out of control illegal marijuana grows, which he said are estimated to be in the thousands, Baughs explained, “With full BOS approval, CEO Matthew Pontes is looking at all current county operations from a new perspective. Grateful for that.”

“With Magrini in place as assistant CEO, I believe we will see an exceptionally positive move forward, sooner rather than later,” Baughs continued.

“Congratulations to Magrini and a ‘shout out’ to CEO Pontes for this ‘big picture’ move,” he said; adding, “Well done.”

Pontes said the board could continue to let Barnhart take on the role of acting sheriff or they can appoint a new sheriff. An election for a new sheriff will be held next year.

Magrini has not yet publicly commented regarding the change of his position and his new job.

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Trevor Montgomery, 49, moved in 2017 to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and runs Riverside County News Source (RCNS) and Shasta County News Source (SCNS).

Additionally, he writes or has written for several other news organizations; including Riverside County-based newspapers Valley News, Valley Chronicle, Anza Valley Outlook, and Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle; the Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County; and Mountain Echo in Shasta County. He is also a regular contributor to Thin Blue Line TV and Law Enforcement News Network and has had his stories featured on news stations throughout the Southern California and North State regions.

Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg, breaking his back, and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident. (Click here to see segment of Discovery Channel documentary of Trevor’s accident.)

During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations; including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center, and Lake Elsinore Station; along with other locations.

Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team, and Personnel/Background Investigations. He finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator and was a court-designated expert in child abuse and child sex-related crimes.

Trevor has been married for more than 30 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and his “fluid family” includes 13 children and 18 grandchildren.