Pima County Sheriff Nanos allegedly provided false sworn statements about his police background; supervisors referred perjury to the Arizona AG

On May 12, 2026, the Pima County Board of Supervisors voted 4–0 (one abstention) not to remove Sheriff Chris Nanos from office, but unanimously directed the county administrator to forward allegations of potential perjury to the Arizona Attorney General's Office for investigation. The referral concerned Nanos's sworn statements submitted to the board in late April 2026 about his 1977–1982 tenure with the El Paso Police Department — statements supervisors concluded may have contained false information about disciplinary records he allegedly concealed in official background disclosures to the county.

The board's scrutiny of Nanos's background arose after Supervisor Matt Heinz stated publicly that Nanos's 42-year career history "seems to be based on fraud." In April 2026, the board directed outside counsel to compel sworn reports from Nanos about his employment history, with non-compliance potentially triggering removal proceedings under Arizona law. Nanos's attorney submitted a written response on April 21, 2026; the board voted that day to postpone deliberation until May 12 to allow adequate review time. Following review in executive session, the board determined that while it lacked legal authority under A.R.S. §11-253 to declare the office vacant, it could refer the potentially false statements to the AG.

Supervisor Rex Scott, explaining the vote, said the board was "following legal advice" and took no position on whether perjury was committed, leaving that determination to the state's chief law enforcement officer. Nanos was not present at the May 12 meeting. The referral runs parallel to, but is distinct from, a separate archived event in which Nanos placed Lt. Heather Lappin on administrative leave after she ran against him — an instance of political retaliation using official authority. This proceeding concerns Nanos's alleged personal misrepresentation of his background and subsequent false sworn statements in a county accountability proceeding.