Corrections supervisor investigated

SANTA FE, NM (KRQE) - A top dog with the state's Probation and Parole department, who is already being investigated for allegedly cheating on his time card, is facing another investigation for shooting a gun on prison grounds.

It’s all spelled out in a New Mexico Corrections Department Duty Officer Report. It states that on Saturday, Probation and Parole Supervisor Larry Flynn fired his gun 14 times in the employee’s housing area of the prison grounds in Santa Fe.

Flynn lives in the housing unit with Corrections Secretary Lupe Martinez, who is his girlfriend and his boss. He is already being investigated for time card fraud after accusations surfaced that he cheated on his time sheet.

He’s been on administrative leave for that. Now he’s facing another investigation for shooting his gun on prison grounds.

Department of Corrections spokesman Shannon McReynolds said Flynn told the officers why he fired the gun.

“He had discharged a firearm to kill a rattlesnake that was under his dog house,” McReynolds said.

The Department of Corrections started an internal investigation, which is standard any time a gun is fired on prison property, and did not call in New Mexico State Police.

“To the best of our knowledge no law had been broken,” McReynolds said. “State Police are in charge of investigating violations of the law.”

McReynolds said the department has the authority to handle situations if they do not have knowledge that a law was broken.

However, Scott Darnell, a spokesman for Gov. Susana Martinez, said there is a statute that prohibits firing a firearm on or near prison grounds.

Darnell also said, “The governor immediately requested a State Police investigation to determine if any laws had been broken."

McReynolds said there is a second reason for the investigation.

“The thing about this particular investigation has to do with the fact that the employee's relationship with the secretary and what we want is an objective investigation,” McReynolds said.