AURORA | An Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office deputy was found guilty of a federal firearm charge and terminated from his job this week after prosecutors say he stored a gun at the home of his brother-in-law, a convicted felon, while moving.
In April 2023, then-deputy Johnny Alvarado left a 9mm handgun at the apartment of his sister’s husband, Kyle Garcia, who was on supervised release from prison at the time, according to federal court filings.
Garcia served time in state prison after trying to rob a man at an ATM and was later given a two-month concurrent sentence plus three years of federal supervised release for spray-painting graffiti on trees in White River National Forest.
Federal prosecutors later told jurors that Alvarado knew Garcia was a felon but chose to leave the gun at the Lakewood apartment anyway.
A probation officer found the gun inside of a closet during a routine search of Garcia’s apartment April 11, and Garcia admitted to being aware of and handling the gun. Alvarado and Garcia were both indicted the next month — Garcia for being a felon in possession of a firearm and Alvarado for handing his firearm over to Garcia.
Garcia pleaded guilty — in comments shared with the court before Garcia was sentenced to five years’ probation, Garcia’s attorney said Alvarado was “navigating a divorce” at the time and that when Alvarado asked Garcia “to hold a few things for him while he moved, it seemed like the thing that a helpful, loving family member would do.”
Alvarado took his chances with a federal jury and was convicted Monday. His sentencing is scheduled for May 29.
A sheriff’s office news release said Alvarado started work as a deputy in December 2021 and was fired Tuesday. He was placed on paid suspension May 12, 2023, when the sheriff’s office was notified of the criminal investigation, and has been suspended without pay since May 19, following his arrest by federal law enforcement.
The release said the office opened a separate internal affairs investigation into Alvarado that was put on hold pending the outcome of his criminal case.
what do you know, peace officers are human!
Screw all of Arap’s police til that prison is not-FOR-profit.
Straight up communists, ASCO
There is a fine line between upholding the law and breaking the low.
A fine line but a line none the less.
Just a poor but harmless decision.
Alvarado knew that Garcia would not use the gun.
Garcia was just being helpful.
Both should have known that Garcia could be in trouble if the gun were found in a surprise inspection.