Board of Supervisors move could oust Sheriff Nanos

Supervisor Matt Heinz, a Democrat and frequent critic of Nanos, said he requested a discussion of the Pima County sheriff's work history Tuesday because of a report by The Arizona Republic that found Nanos misstated his experience on his résumé. 

For years, Nanos has said he worked until 1984 in the El Paso Police Department, but The Republic revealed he left that department in 1982, when given the choice to resign or be fired after a series of suspensions and disciplinary measures. The Republic also reported that in a December 2025 deposition, Nanos was asked if he'd ever been suspended, and he testified he had not.

"I was disturbed by, saddened by, the sheriff apparently, when moving from El Paso, Texas, to Pima County, was not completely straightforward with the process ... What really affected me most about this was that the sheriff's work history in Pima County for 42 years seems to be based on a fraud, And I feel very strongly about this," Heinz said. "At a time when trust in our government, trust in our government entities, officials in particular, is at an all time low. Having this kind of information come out about the highest ranking law enforcement official for the largest law enforcement agency in Southern Arizona, is incredibly troubling and very serious."

Heinz said that he wasn't surprised when he found out "because of my own, witnessed experiences working with the sheriff and his management of the Sheriff's Department."

"You can't lie on your job applications, you can't lie under oath," Heinz said. "This is about accountability and preventing further erosion of public trust in the county government and in county law enforcement. It's not fair that bad decisions by one individual should be reflecting poorly on, frankly, the department, all of us in government, all of us in the county, and so that is why I brought forward this item for discussion."

The revelations about Nanos' work history have also caused a recall effort to be launched against him. Daniel Butierez, a Republican candidate for Congress, pulled petitions to pursue a recall of Nanos on March 12. Butierez and other volunteers will have until mid-June to collect 120,000 valid signatures from Pima County voters to put the recall on the ballot.

Nanos has called the date mix-up an error, not an effort to mislead the county.

Supervisor Jen Allen's motion Tuesday passed by a unanimous vote. It directs the use of an outside attorney to prepare paperwork to get reports about Nanos' work history for the board by its next meeting.

State law in-question requires any county officer "to make reports under oath on any matter connected with the duties of his office, and may require the officer to give such bonds or further bonds as may be necessary for the faithful performance of his respective duties."

"An officer who neglects or refuses to make the report, or to give the bond within ten days after being so required, may be removed from office by the board and the office declared vacant. The board may then fill the vacancy," the state law reads.

Heinz on Tuesday said the board vote follows a long line of actions or headlines that show Nanos should be disqualified from heading the Sheriff's Department. Heinz, speaking to the Star last week, noted Nanos' handling of the Ricky Garcia investigation, a former sergeant in the department who was sentenced to one year in jail last year after being convicted in the attempted sexual assault of a female coworker and Nanos' decision to suspend Heather Lappin, then the Republican candidate for sheriff, three weeks before Election Day in 2024.

Lappin, then a lieutenant at the Pima County jail, was put on administrative leave after the department accused her of posting a photo on her campaign’s Facebook page showing deputies campaigning in uniform. Lappin resigned from the department late last year.

Nanos did not attend Tuesday's meeting.