Prosecutors want former cop behind bars

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - Federal prosecutors say former APD officer Brad Ahrensfield's actions since he was sentenced show a "pattern of criminal conduct," and he needs to be held in prison immediately, allegations Ahrensfield's attorney denies.

In 2010, Ahrensfield was convicted of obstruction of justice for tipping off a friend about a federal investigation into that friend's auto dealership. Last September, a federal judge sentenced Ahrensfield to six months in federal prison and six months house arrest.

A month later, Ahrensfield was granted his release while the courts processed an appeal of his conviction.

But in a filing with the court Monday, the U.S. Attorney's Office is asking for that release to be revoked. The document cites two separate investigations into Ahrensfield.

According to an FBI report, Ahrensfield was hired by a private investigator earlier this year. In that report, the investigator says Ahrensfield had an assault rifle during a demonstration for a client.

The investigator told the FBI he didn't know Ahrensfield was a convicted felon at the time.

Normally it's a felony for a felon to possess a firearm, but under Ahrensfield's original conditions of release, he was allowed to have a gun as part of his job as a police officer. That condition was not changed following his conviction, even though Ahrensfield was no longer with APD, a problem prosecutors attribute to a clerical error.

In the FBI report, the private investigator also told police that once he found out about Ahrensfield's felony conviction he tried to get rid of him and claimed Ahrensfield took files and demanded he paid money the investigator owed him.

Also included in the new allegations are claims Ahrensfield attempted to keep another officer from testifying in a DWI case by telling him he'd be sued if he did. That case was later dismissed.

The District Attorney's Office says it's currently reviewing that case to determine if it merits any state charges.

The U.S. Attorney's Office citing an ongoing investigation declined to comment on whether there would be additional charges from the other two incidents.  In the motion filed with the court, however, they asked a judge to revoke Ahrensfield's release because of the new accusations.

Ahrensfield's attorney Jason Bowles says the allegations against his client have no merit whatsoever and accused federal prosecutors of trying to distract from Ahrensfield's pending appeal.

"He's got a big target on his back," Bowles said. "They try to raise issues at every juncture [and] there's a rebuttal to every one of these."