- Log in to post comments
Two deputies with the Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office have been charged with obstruction of justice, conspiracy, and related charges after allegedly tipping off the subject of a U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency operation and conspiring to hide the tip-off.
The two deputies are Kyle Linker, 33, and Paul Jessen, Jr., 34.
The U.S. Department of Justice alleges that Linker initially tipped off a drug trafficker, who was also a confidential informant working with Linker and the Sheriff's Office, about a DEA operation that may have targeted the trafficker. Upon finding evidence of the tip-off, the DEA set up another operation to determine if Linker was indeed passing information to his informant/trafficker. Upon receiving notice of the new DEA operation, Linker contacted his colleague Jessen, and the two conspired to forewarn the trafficker in a way that would hide the fact that the tip-off originated from the DEA's notice to Linker.
As of September 25, Linker had already pleaded guilty to one count of obstruction of justice while Jessen had yet to enter a plea regarding similar charges plus conspiracy and making false statements.