Otero County, NM DA dismisses 35 felony cases
The district attorney in Alamogordo, NM dismissed 35 felony criminal cases this week amid allegations that an undercover Otero County deputy used illicit narcotics with suspects before their arrests, sometimes inside the deputy’s tattoo parlor.
Twelfth Judicial District Attorney John P. Sugg told the Journal that the deputy, who reportedly no longer works for the agency, refused to take a polygraph test, invoked his right to a lawyer and then wouldn’t speak with the FBI. The FBI has been investigating the allegations for at least a year ...
Sugg said some of the 35 defendants affected by the dismissal order were accused of violent crimes, including attempted first-degree murder. Several faced first-degree felony charges, carrying a maximum of 18 years in prison, because of their previous drug trafficking convictions.
“Numerous other defendants have claimed that Deputy Marchand used drugs with them while he worked as an undercover detective for OCSO. Other accounts from law enforcement officers have raised concerns over the handling of evidence, evidence going missing, problems with the chain of custody for evidence, and possible alcohol intoxication by Deputy Marchand while working undercover,” the dismissal notice said.
https://www.abqjournal.com/1209025/otero-da-dismisses-35-felony-cases.html