GOLDEN, Colo. (May 19, 2026) – District Attorney Alexis King announced today that Christopher Gearhart has been charged with six counts of First Degree Official Misconduct and four counts of Cybercrime related to alleged misconduct committed between July 2023 and July 2025, while employed as an Agent of the Lakewood Police Department (LPD). Gearhart worked as a patrol agent from approximately January 2019, until he resigned pending investigation in September 2025.
On May 19, 2026, First Judicial District Attorney’s Office Investigator Ashly Flynn submitted a warrant for the arrest of Gearhart on suspicion of the following charges:
Count 1: First Degree Official Misconduct, 18-8-404(1)(c), (M1) from 7/8/2025
Count 2: First Degree Official Misconduct, 18-8-404(1)(a)(c), (M1) from 8/1/2023
Count 3: First Degree Official Misconduct, 18-8-404(1)(a)(c), (M1) from 07/23/2023
Count 4: First Degree Official Misconduct, 18-8-404(1)(a)(c), (M1) from 08/23/2023
Count 5: First Degree Official Misconduct, 18-8-404(1)(a)(c), (M1) from 09/18/2023
Count 6: First Degree Official Misconduct, 18-8-404(1)(a)(c), (M1) from 9/20/23
Counts 7-10: Cybercrime, 18-5.5-102(1)(a), (M2)
Earlier today, Gearhart was arrested at his residence and taken into custody at the Arapahoe County Jail. He was given a $20,000 personal recognizance (PR) bond.
Investigation summary:
On July 22, 2025, Agent Gearhart and four other LPD patrol Agents responded to a call involving a twenty-eight-year-old intoxicated female. During this contact on scene, the female subject stated she recognized Agent Gearhart from a prior incident, and repeatedly verbally alleged to other police agents that Agent Gearhart tried to have sex with her, made sexual comments, and intentionally manipulated the audio on his body worn camera (BWC) while in her presence. The female subject also reported that Agent Gearhart kept her in the car at the detox facility for approximately thirty minutes during their contact.
On July 24, 2025, the agents who were present on scene formally reported the female’s allegations to the Internal Affairs Unit of the Lakewood Police Department. An IA investigation was initiated immediately, and Agent Gearhart was placed on paid administrative leave, pending the outcome of the investigation.
During the IA investigation, audits were conducted of Agent’s Gearhart’s BWC and his queries of the Criminal Justice Information Systems (CJIS), and a cell phone download was completed on his department issued cell phone. The information that emerged raised the possibility of criminal violations. On August 28, 2025, Lakewood Police formally requested that the First Judicial District Attorney’s Office conduct an independent criminal investigation into the allegations.
On September 15, 2025, shortly after the District Attorney’s Office took over the criminal investigation, Agent Gearhart resigned. The Lakewood Police Department subsequently notified Colorado P.O.S.T. of Gearhart’s resignation while under investigation.
The criminal investigation revealed evidence of Gearhart intentionally muting his department issued BWC, terminating recordings during arrest, and conducting unauthorized queries of Criminal Justice Information System (CJIS) records. As a result, Gearhart will face misdemeanor charges related to official misconduct and cybercrime offenses.
Investigators with the First Judicial District Attorney’s Office also reviewed thousands of pages of text message content from Gearhart’s assigned work cell phone. The phone revealed both personal and work related use and contained explicit photographs and sexually related communications, including communications with former female arrestees, witnesses, and victims, both on and off duty.
While investigators identified evidence sufficient to establish probable cause for additional criminal offenses, the applicable statute of limitations prevents prosecution related to those allegations.
Gearhart is currently employed as a non-sworn booking deputy with Homeland Security at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility in Denver, Colorado.
A photograph of former Agent Gearhart is below, courtesy of the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office. Anyone with information pertaining to the allegations in this case should contact First Judicial District Attorney’s Office Investigator Flynn at 303-271-6010.
The criminal case number is 26M2600.
The charges are merely legal allegations, and Mr. Gearhart is presumed innocent of the charges against him unless and until he is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
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