ONLY ON 4: N4T INVESTIGATORS: Pima County Attorney’s Office declined to prosecute corrections officer arrested for organized retail theft | Police

TUCSON, Ariz. (KVOA) — News 4 Tucson has learned more about why the Pima County attorney‘s Office declined to prosecute a corrections officer arrested for organized retail theft.

The News 4 Tucson investigators broke the story after learning some sheriff department employees were concerned by the sheriff’s decision not to fire the officer.

A Pima County Sheriff’s Department Corrections Officer is used to watching over people behind bars but recently found himself in custody after allegedly committing multiple incidents of theft.

The case against the corrections officer was all detailed in a police report. This has become a very divisive topic among the sheriff’s department and has become a war of words between different unions.

On Tuesday night, The Pima County attorney gave News 4 Tucson an exclusive interview explaining why they chose not to prosecute.

“This particular case went through a first review, second review and even a third review with our bureau chief because the accused holds a position of trust in our community,” Pima County attorney, Laura Conover said.

In an exclusive interview with the News 4 Tucson Investigators, Pima County attorney Laura Conover explains why her team didn’t prosecute Jose Monreal Junior, a Pima County Corrections Officer, after he was arrested in Oct. by Sahuarita Police for multiple documented incidents of shoplifting and what officers believed warranted two felony charges.

According to the police report from Sahuarita Police, Monreal Junior was captured on Walmart surveillance video intentionally not bagging items at self-checkout 23 times over the course of three months. The total losses just under $500. 

Conover says that’s the reason they didn’t pursue a felony case

“The case falls well short of the $1,000 necessary to pursue a felony conviction,” Conover said.

Conover acknowledged they could pursue it based on a pattern of behavior but it would be a daunting task.

“It would be like prosecuting 23 separate cases.”

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos told the News 4 Tucson Investigators that he convened a leadership panel and everyone voted to terminate Monreal’s employment, but he refused.

“The main reason for me is this is a man who has six kids, he’s the sole provider for the family of six and his wife and one of those kids is dying of cancer,” Sheriff Nanos said.

Instead, Nanos briefly suspended Monreal Jr. That decision faced scrutiny from some staff like Deputy Aaron Cross, who heads the Pima County Deputy’s organization.

“I think it’s just another poor decision by sheriff nanos and this guy needs to be fired immediately,” Cross said.

Cross’ vocal condemnation is facing its own condemnation from a different union, The Pima County Deputy Sheriff’s Association.

In a news release, it says it supports the sheriff’s decision not to fire Monreal writing in part:

“PCDSA questions why the head of other alleged employee labor organization would condemn such opportunities and create precedent for harsher punishment knowing they may one day find their members in a similar predicament.”

But, Cross isn’t backing down, sending News 4 Tucson a response reading:

“The PCDO, which represents half of all deputies, is an organization that values integrity and honor. This man has tarnished all of our badges with his continued employment, and every one of the sheriff’s senior commanders agrees, when they voted to terminate him. Sheriff Nanos and his mouthpiece from the PCDA should be more concerned with the trust the badge is meant to represent, rather than the common criminal who now, unfortunately, wears one.” 

The Sahuarita Police Department and Conover say that the case is now in the hands of Sahuarita Municipal Court.

The court tells News 4 Tucson it has no record of an open case against Monreal Junior.

We’ll keep you updated.

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