High-ranking official facing charges

SANTA FE, NM (KRQE) - A high-ranking Department Of Corrections employee now faces charges for firing his gun on prison grounds near the state pen in Santa Fe.

Larry Flynn was living in the housing division for corrections employees on the prison grounds with his girlfriend Lupe Martinez, who was at the time Corrections Secretary. That housing division is where corrections officials say Flynn fired his personal gun.

A report states Flynn pulled the trigger more than a dozen times back in August. At that time the Department Of Corrections said they did not believe any laws had been broken so they did not call in state police to investigate.

Flynn claimed he was shooting at a rattlesnake that he spotted under his dog's house. The report was taken, the acting warden called and an internal investigation began.

The Governor's office got wind of the allegations and called for a criminal investigation to make sure Flynn did not receive special treatment.

Weeks after the investigation began, detectives slapped charges on Flynn, the head of the special operations division for the state's Probation And Parole Department. He is now facing misdemeanor charges for negligent use of a deadly weapon and tampering with evidence.

On Thursday, corrections officials said this wont happen again.

"This point forward on anything that can be remotely preceived as a criminal act - protocol is going to be that we are going to call law enforcement," said Greg Marcantel, Interim Deputy Secretary of the Corrections Department.

Corrections officials who've replaced Lupe Martinez said when Flynn fired off his gun on prison grounds he absolutely broke the rules.

They tell us there has been an action taken regarding Flynn's employment but would not elaborate any further.

Flynn no longer lives on the prison grounds.

Flynn was also accused of cheating on his time card months ago. He's still on paid suspension while that investigation wraps up.

Martinez, Flynn's girlfriend, resigned shortly after questions came up about whether Flynn got special treatment when he wasn't immediately punished or criminally investigated.