The Denver Police Department arrested Denver Deputy Sheriff Aniel Martinez on Thursday in connection with an incident that happened on Jan. 2, while Martinez was working at the Downtown Detention Center.
Martinez faces charges of official misconduct and introducing contraband into the facility, both misdemeanors. The Public Integrity Division opened an investigation into the allegations, and Martinez was placed on leave on Jan. 3.
Martinez, 33, allegedly provided a vape pen to an inmate and arranged for the inmate to pay him $60 via CashApp, according to an arrest affidavit provided by the Denver Police Department. The inmate said he had asked Martinez if he could have his vape pen, and was turned down. Martinez allegedly told him, “I could make a killing selling vapes.”
The inmate continued to ask, and the two later reached terms for a sale, which was paid for by a third party on the outside. Another deputy noticed the suspicious interactions between Martinez and the inmate and requested a review of camera footage. A body search of the inmate found the vape pen, as well as a second one.
Martinez became a deputy sheriff in 2024. He was released from the same facility where he once worked on a personal recognizance bond.
He will appear in Denver County Court for an advisement on Feb. 25.
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