A former Tucson police officer who was fired after he admitted to being a customer of a long-running prostitution ring, has surrendered his state license for police work, officials said.
On Wednesday, the Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training Board accepted a consent agreement with Jesus Maldonado, allowing him to relinquish his peace officer certification, said board spokeswoman Sandy Sierra.
Maldonado resigned from the department in April 2015, at the start of an internal affairs investigation into the involvement of multiple officers with two illegal massage parlors, βBy Spanishβ and βDaisyβs Delights,β police documents show.
In July, the department changed the disposition of his employment to terminated, after the investigation was completed, according to the documents.
An internal affairs report said Maldonado spent 19 months using various illegal massage services advertised on the website Backpage.com, and contacted the businesses 40 times, via call or text message. He told investigators that he was concerned about being robbed when he went to his appointments, so he always checked the addresses before making an appointment.
Maldonado admitted to having sex with three different women he found on the site, paying between $120 and $150 each time, the document says. He told the women that he worked for the Air Force and lied about his name in order to avoid being caught. He told investigators he knew his actions were wrong, the report said.
As a result of his surrendering his certification, Maldonado is barred from working in law enforcement in Arizona.
In July, four other Tucson police officers and a crime scene technician were also fired for their involvement with the prostitution ring. A sergeant who resigned when the internal affairs investigation begin, Michael McGuire, also had his status changed to terminated. In January, McGuire surrendered his certification to the AZPOST.
In the past several months, the board has initiated proceedings against four of the other fired officers β Nathaniel Luttrell, Daniel Santa Cruz, Martin Walker and Vincent Valenzuela .
Proceedings against Sierra Vista officer
At Wednesdayβs meeting, the board also decided to initiate proceedings against Sierra Vista police Officer Alexander Roy, after an internal investigation revealed he had an inappropriate relationship with a 14-year-old girl, AZPOST documents show.
In early 2015, a woman filed several serious complaints with the Cochise County Sheriffβs Office in regards to her daughterβs alleged relationship with Roy, the document said.
An investigation by the sheriffβs office concluded that while Roy had not broken the law, his contact with the girl was inappropriate. βIt was clear to the department that Roy, an adult male, had an inappropriate relationship with a minor female,β the document says. βThis includes inappropriately slapping her buttocks, spending time with her alone and picking her up in his patrol vehicle while on-duty and without supervisory approval.β
Between July 2012 and June 2014, Roy committed five violations of department policy, and in conjunction with the findings of the investigation, he was fired for demonstrating a pattern of poor judgment, the document says.
Roy appealed his termination with the city of Sierra Vista, and a hearing officer decided the punishment was too severe. Roy was reinstated after an 80-hour suspension without pay, according to the document.
The board will send a formal letter to Roy, who will have the option of a hearing with an administrative law judge.
As a result of the AZPOST decision, Roy has been placed on administrative duty, until the board reaches a final decision, said Sierra Vista Police Chief, Adam Thrasher.
