Pima County BOS takes 1st step to compel Sheriff Chris Nanos to explain résumé errors

PHOENIX — The Pima County Board of Supervisors took the first step on Tuesday to compel Sheriff Chris Nanos to explain discrepancies that were found on his résumé.

The board voted unanimously to have outside counsel draft language to request reports under oath from Nanos, which they will then review during an executive session on April 7.

“The sheriff apparently when moving from El Paso, Texas, to Pima County was not completely straightforward with the process,” District 2 Supervisor Matt Heinz said before the vote. “Thanks to The Arizona Republic, we have seen that a considerable amount … of work history, particularly concerning work history, was omitted.”

On March 9, The Arizona Republic reported that Nanos’ work history was not accurately represented on his résumé, as it stated the sheriff worked at the El Paso Police Department until 1984 when he actually resigned two years earlier to avoid being fired.

The next day, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department blamed “clerical errors” for the discrepancies. Pima County Sheriff’s Department spokesperson Angelica Carrillo stated that Nanos served with the El Paso Police Department from 1976 to 1982, not 1984, and was promoted to Pima County captain in 2007, not 2009.

“Both date discrepancies were administrative in nature and were not intended to mislead or misrepresent Sheriff Nanos’ work history,” Carrillo said in a March 10 press release.

However, records obtained from the El Paso Police Department show Nanos resigned in lieu of termination in 1982 following a series of disciplinary issues, including allegations of insubordination, excessive force, off-duty gambling and tardiness, the newspaper reported.

An updated résumé was posted to the department’s website while the original resume can be found online.

“What really affected me most about this was that the sheriff’s history in Pima County for 42 years seems to be based on a fraud,” Heinz said. “At a time when … trust in our government entities, officials in particular, is at an all-time low, having this kind of information come out about the highest-ranking law enforcement official for the largest law enforcement agency in Southern Arizona is incredibly troubling and very serious.”

Carrillo said in a statement that Nanos will comply with the request to provide a report to the board.

“He has always been transparent and will provide a report once more direction is provided by the Pima County administrator,” Carrillo said. “Because this is a legal matter, the sheriff is unable to comment any further on this matter.”

Pima County sheriff also facing recall petition

Nanos is also facing an effort to remove him from office, as criticisms against his leadership have compounded amid the investigation into the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of “Today” show co-anchor Savannah Guthrie.

Guthrie was reported missing Feb. 1, and since then there’s been only one major lead in the case in which video evidence shows a potential suspect who may have entered her home.

She was last seen the day before, Jan. 31.

A recall petition was filed March 12 by former Republican candidate for Congress Daniel Butierez, who told KTAR News 92.3 FM he believes Nanos botched the case and that’s what led to his decision to pursue a recall.

Butierez added that Nanos made mistakes from the beginning, citing the sheriff opening up the crime scene before any other law enforcement got involved.

He also argued that public trust in the sheriff’s department has broken down and claimed deputies within the department are supporting the recall.

The recall petition must be submitted to the Pima County Elections Department by July 10, with a required threshold of 122,211 signatures.

Nanos responded to the recall effort through a statement provided by the department.

“We’re aware of the recall, and it’s the right of the people,” the statement said. “We’ll always honor the will of the people, and that’s what makes democracy.”

KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Balin Overstolz-McNair and David Iversen contributed to this report. 

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