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Former Ohkay Owingeh officer charged with obstruction of justice
Published
Modified
A former Ohkay Owingeh police officer is accused of trying to impede a federal investigation by disclosing information to someone outside of law enforcement.
Justin Aquino, 28, is charged with obstruction of justice and making false statements, according to an indictment filed last month.
The indictment did not detail the specifics of Aquino's alleged crimes.
An attorney for Aquino did not respond to an email for comment.
Tessa DuBerry, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney's Office, said in February 2020 that Aquino allegedly "used his position as an officer" to share information on an ongoing investigation by the Department of Homeland Security and Drug Enforcement Administration.
Duberry said Aquino is accused of sharing that information with "an individual outside of the investigation" but she did not elaborate.
She said FBI agents confronted Aquino about those allegations in May 2022 and Aquino, who then worked for the Pojoaque Police Department, "falsely stated that he had not disclosed information to anyone outside of the investigation."
Duberry said Aquino faces a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison.
