Chris Nanos controversies resurface as Nancy Guthrie investigation continues

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Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos, who's going through elevated scrutiny because the hunt for the lacking Nancy Guthrie nears the two-week mark, has been underneath the general public microscope earlier than.

New reviews and court docket data present the sheriff has been embroiled in controversy a number of occasions over the previous decade.

Within the weeks main up his 2024 re-election, which he gained by a margin of 481 votes, Nanos positioned his opponent Heather Lappin, a lieutenant on the Pima County Jail, on administrative depart, ordering her to not talk about the reasoning for his resolution, Green Valley News reported.

He did the identical to Sgt. Aaron Cross, an outspoken opponent of his and the pinnacle of the Pima County Deputies Group.

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Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos speaks at a information convention a couple of capturing that occurred the morning of Jan. 27, 2026, involving a U.S. Border Patrol agent. (Sarah Lapidus/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK by way of Imagn Pictures)

Cross reportedly campaigned in opposition to Nanos, holding an indication on a avenue nook saying "Deputies Do not Need Nanos," simply earlier than he was positioned on depart. Nanos claimed Cross campaigned in opposition to him whereas carrying official clothes issued by the Pima County Sheriff's Department (PCSD) in breach of division guidelines, which Cross denied.

In a federal lawsuit , filed in opposition to Nanos, Capt. Juan Navarro and the PCSD, Cross claims that "Nanos deliberately or recklessly allowed an employment motion in opposition to Plaintiff Cross that disadvantaged Plaintiff Cross of the power to contribute to conversations associated to issues of public concern, and failed to think about or perceive the First Modification proper to freedom of speech on issues of public concern."

In August of final 12 months, Lappin additionally filed a lawsuit in opposition to Nanos, claiming that after she determined to run for workplace, "Sheriff Nanos and PCSD management waged a retaliatory marketing campaign in opposition to Lieutenant Lappin's profession with a view to undermine her candidacy."

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The swimsuit says that Lappin volunteered to cowl parts of a "Common Teacher" college for an additional lieutenant who had a scheduling battle. She had taught the Common Teacher college seven occasions prior, protecting the identical lieutenant a number of of these occasions.

<source media="(max-width: 767px)" srcset="https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2026/02/343/192/nancy-guthrie-fbi-investigators-search-catalina-foothills-tucson-fox-news-003.jpg?ve=1&tl=1, https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2026/02/686/384/nancy-guthrie-fbi-investigators-search-catalina-foothills-tucson-fox-news-003.jpg?ve=1&tl=1 2x" height="192" width="343"><source media="(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)" srcset="https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2026/02/672/378/nancy-guthrie-fbi-investigators-search-catalina-foothills-tucson-fox-news-003.jpg?ve=1&tl=1, https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2026/02/1344/756/nancy-guthrie-fbi-investigators-search-catalina-foothills-tucson-fox-news-003.jpg?ve=1&tl=1 2x" height="378" width="672"><source media="(min-width: 1024px) and (max-width: 1279px)" srcset="https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2026/02/931/523/nancy-guthrie-fbi-investigators-search-catalina-foothills-tucson-fox-news-003.jpg?ve=1&tl=1, https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2026/02/1862/1046/nancy-guthrie-fbi-investigators-search-catalina-foothills-tucson-fox-news-003.jpg?ve=1&tl=1 2x" height="523" width="931"><source media="(min-width: 1280px)" srcset="https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2026/02/720/405/nancy-guthrie-fbi-investigators-search-catalina-foothills-tucson-fox-news-003.jpg?ve=1&tl=1, https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2026/02/1440/810/nancy-guthrie-fbi-investigators-search-catalina-foothills-tucson-fox-news-003.jpg?ve=1&tl=1 2x" height="405" width="720"> FBI investigators search Catalina Foothills in Tucson, Arizona, Wednesday, February 11, 2026. The investigation into the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie continues. (DWS for Fox Information Digital)

However, the varsity formally required a Grasp Teacher to show, which Lappin was not. The lawsuit says that regardless of protecting the course earlier than, and regardless of a superior realizing in regards to the association, Lappin was formally disciplined for her actions for the primary time after she declared curiosity in operating in opposition to Nanos. The swimsuit says that Nanos personally signed the disciplinary motion, a transfer described as "atypical."

She was then unexpectedly assigned to the Pima County Grownup Detention Heart, and mentioned she acquired no clarification for the transfer.

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"The Coaching Heart protection challenge was the beginning of a broader effort by Sheriff Nanos and PCSD management to wreck Lieutenant Lappin's fame and undermine her marketing campaign," the lawsuit says. "Inside weeks of submitting her Assertion of Curiosity, Captain Anderson had revoked Lieutenant Lappin's educating authority and command transferred her from the Coaching Heart to the Jail. Though labeled a lateral transfer, this punitive switch functioned as a demotion in accountability, stature, and alternative."

The swimsuit additionally says that after Lappin posted a picture of Cross' protest onto her marketing campaign web site, she was promptly positioned on depart.

Lastly, she accused Nanos within the lawsuit of sending out a press launch simply weeks earlier than the election notifying the general public that Cross was on depart for "political campaigning whereas representing [himself] as a division member underneath the colour of authority" and that "[i]t is thought that Sergeant Cross is collaborating with Lieutenant Heather Lappin on her marketing campaign," and that Lieutenant Lappin was "questioned" about Sergeant Cross's actions.

Nancy Guthrie, 84, has been lacking from her Arizona dwelling since Jan. 31, 2026. (Don Arnold/WireImage/Getty Pictures)

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In keeping with the lawsuit, the discharge additionally accused her of "collud[ing] with a journalist to facilitate cost to an inmate in change for a information story" whereas she labored on the detention heart, which Lappin denied.

"In whole, Lieutenant Lappin has been referred to inside affairs 5 occasions since declaring her candidacy in 2023," the lawsuit says. "Earlier than her candidacy, she had one inside affairs referral throughout roughly eighteen years of service with PCSD."

Each Cross' and Lappin's instances are ongoing.

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Shortly after Nanos' slim 2024 victory, the Pima County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted for an unbiased investigation into whether or not Nanos was liable for prison wrongdoing through the election. That case was referred to the Arizona legal professional common's workplace, however no costs have been ever introduced.

In 2022, a feminine PCSD deputy was allegedly sexually assaulted by a supervisor at a vacation celebration. The supervisor, Ricardo Garcia, was discovered not responsible of sexual assault in December 2024, however was discovered responsible of two counts of tried sexual assault and two counts of sexual abuse. Garcia was sentenced to 1 12 months in jail and three years of probation.

In 2023, the Pima County Deputy’s Organization claimed Nanos didn't probe how the division's management dealt with the investigation into the incident, which led to a different referral for an unbiased investigation by the Arizona legal professional common's workplace.

As soon as once more, the workplace found no criminal wrongdoing , however did be aware that the division might have damaged a number of of its personal guidelines.

An FBI billboard in Albuquerque, N.M., elevating consciousness in regards to the seek for lacking Nancy Guthrie. (KRQE)

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After the legal professional common's workplace launched its report, the Pima County Board of Supervisors formally voted for Nanos to make clear to the general public the state of the inner investigation.

In 2015, Nanos was the appointed chief of PCSD. He had taken over the place after former Sheriff Clarence Dupnik retired, and was operating for election to the seat in 2016. However that very same 12 months, the FBI began investigating the division for misuse of civil asset forfeiture funds.

In lots of instances, funds confiscated by police from criminals will be stored and spent on accredited objects like extra tools for legislation enforcement.

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In October of that 12 months, Chief Deputy Chris Radtke was indicted on federal costs, and accused of wrongly utilizing tons of of 1000's of {dollars} of the forfeited property. The division additionally reportedly spent $20,000 constructing a industrial kitchen to open a café that was run by Radtke's niece. Radtke took a plea deal, agreeing to plead responsible to a few misdemeanor counts of theft of presidency property. He didn't go to jail.

Nanos was by no means charged.

Throughout that investigation, Nanos gave a fiery interview to KGUN throughout which he sharply rebuked the FBI.

FBI brokers canvass houses close to Nancy Guthrie's dwelling in Tucson, Friday, Feb. 6, 2026. Guthrie was final seen on Saturday evening as an investigation into her disappearance continues. (Kat Ramirez for Fox Information Digital)

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"In relation to an FBI investigation, I used to be stunned by that as a lot as anyone," he mentioned. "This is an company who for years has been recognized to disclaim or acknowledge something about any type of investigation. They're well-known for that."

Nanos complained that the FBI confirmed to a reporter that the division was underneath investigation, regardless of what he considered as their proclivity for secrecy. He mentioned that he had been contacted by former FBI Assistant Particular Agent in Cost in Tucson Andy Black, and had a "benign" dialog with him.

"Am I upset on the FBI? Completely," he mentioned within the interview. "They get by with saying 'no remark.' Who does that right now? They suppose they're nice with that. And when this factor's all resolved and the case is throughout, I problem Mr. Black to face up by himself and say, 'We checked out this investigation, and we fully discover this investigation to be whole BS.' As a result of that is what it's. However you will not hear that, as a result of they will not verify or deny."

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He later quipped that if the FBI was "having issues doing investigations," to "please, name us as a result of now we have actual policemen right here."

Nanos misplaced his election for sheriff that 12 months, however ran once more and was elected in 2020.

Thus far through the Guthrie investigation , Nanos has been accused of slow-rolling the FBI's involvement and wrongly transport proof to a personal lab in Florida as an alternative of to the FBI's headquarters in Quantico, Virginia.

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<source media="(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)" srcset="https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2026/02/672/378/savannah-guthrie-mom-nancy-missing-fox-news-212-020.jpg?ve=1&tl=1, https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2026/02/1344/756/savannah-guthrie-mom-nancy-missing-fox-news-212-020.jpg?ve=1&tl=1 2x" height="378" width="672"><source media="(min-width: 1024px) and (max-width: 1279px)" srcset="https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2026/02/931/523/savannah-guthrie-mom-nancy-missing-fox-news-212-020.jpg?ve=1&tl=1, https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2026/02/1862/1046/savannah-guthrie-mom-nancy-missing-fox-news-212-020.jpg?ve=1&tl=1 2x" height="523" width="931"> A member of the Pima County sheriff's workplace stays outdoors of Nancy Guthrie’s dwelling on Monday, Feb. 9, 2026 in Tucson, Ariz. (Ty O'Neil/AP Photograph)

Each of these claims he denied in an interview with Fox Information' Matt Finn on Friday.

He instructed Finn that investigators have been utilizing the Florida lab from the beginning of the investigation and that Guthrie household DNA, in addition to different DNA, had already been despatched there.

"Why cut up your proof to 2 totally different labs that would create a battle, however extra importantly, it provides that further step," he mentioned. "This lab has this piece, this lab has that piece. Now they have to converge these two items to make an elimination or identification. No, simply ship it to 1 lab, let's go. They're each nice labs. They each have nice tools and good individuals."

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"We belief the FBI’s crime lab, we’ve used them earlier than, however on this case we began with that lab," he mentioned. It’s simply that straightforward."

Nanos additionally denied the declare that his workplace delayed contacting the FBI for help within the case, saying he has no cause to not associate with the federal legislation enforcement company, that it could be "completely loopy" not to take action, and that his division and the FBI are working nicely collectively. He mentioned he known as the FBI on Monday, Feb.2, the primary enterprise day after the investigation started.