ARAPAHOE COUNTY, Colo. — An Arapahoe County Sheriff's deputy was fired Tuesday after he was convicted by a jury of providing a firearm to a convicted felon, according to the sheriff's office.
A federal jury convicted Johnny Alvarado on Monday on one count of unlawful disposition of a firearm. According to the indictment, he provided a firearm and ammunition to Kyle Garcia last April – despite knowing that he had been convicted of a felony.
The weapon was found at Garcia's home by his probation officer during a routine check. According to the U.S. Justice Department Garcia is Alvarado's brother-in-law.
Alvarado worked as a deputy sheriff at the Arapahoe County Detention Facility and had been with the department since December 2021.
Last May, the sheriff's office was notified that Alvarado was the subject of a criminal investigation, and he was initially placed on paid suspension. He was moved to unpaid suspension after his arrest by the U.S. Marshal Service that same month.
The sheriff's office also opened an internal affairs investigation, but it was put on hold while the criminal case played out. Alvarado was fired on Tuesday, a day after his conviction. A sentencing date has not been set.
Garcia pleaded guilty to a single count of possession of a weapon by a prohibited person and was sentenced to five years of probation with six months in a residential reentry center.
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