A former Las Cruces U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer has been sentenced to 12 months and a day in prison for obstruction of justice.
Christopher Holbrook, 32, was sentenced in federal court in Las Cruces, New Mexico, on May 25, 2023, to 12 months and a day in prison followed by two years of supervised release for obstruction of justice, announced Eric Dreiband, Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney John C. Anderson of the District of New Mexico, and Hector Mancha, CBP Director of Field Operation, El Paso.
According to the defendant’s guilty plea, Holbrook falsified an official report regarding his use of force against an individual, referred to as R.A.M., on March 23, 2015. Holbrook’s report falsely claimed that he used the minimum amount of force necessary to control R.A.M.; in pleading guilty, Holbrook admitted that he intentionally swept R.A.M.’s legs out from under him and caused R.A.M.’s head to hit the floor.
“The defendant’s intentional falsification of a report to cover up his misconduct undermines the oath that all federal law enforcement take to uphold and fairly enforce the law,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband.
“We depend on law enforcement officers to carry out their duties in a way that respects their positions of authority, the law and the communities they serve,” said U.S. Attorney John C. Anderson. “When those who are sworn to uphold the law and protect others instead abuse their power and position, they undermine the public’s confidence in the justice system and our government institutions. We cannot and will not tolerate such abuses.”
The case was investigated by CBP’s Office of Professional Responsibility. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marisa Ong of District of New Mexico U.S. Attorney’s Law Cruces Branch Office and Trial Attorney Julia Gegenheimer of the Civil Rights Division are prosecuting the case.
Christopher Holbrook is a former U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer who was sentenced to 12 months and a day in prison for obstruction of justice. He was found guilty of falsifying an official report regarding his use of force against an individual on March 23, 2015 in Las Cruces, New Mexico.
Key Facts
- State: New Mexico
- Category: Public Corruption
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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