Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos, who is currently heading the investigation into missing Arizona mother Nancy Guthrie, has been hit with a $1.35 million lawsuit.
Newsweek reports that Arizona inmate Christopher Michael Marx filed the lawsuit March 5 at the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona, alleging that Nanos endangered his life.
The lawsuit, which also names the Pima County Sheriff’s Department as a defendant, stated that a deputy at the jail moved between two units, including one quarantined for COVID-19, without disinfecting himself.
Nanos is accused not enforcing laws that require the deputy to protect inmates.
“This deputy was going back and forth working both units; our unit was on lockdown because this deputy was working both units,” he wrote in the lawsuit.
“I could have died,” Marx stated.
Marx wants Nanos to ensure that deputies are disinfecting themselves when “working two units at a time and one of these units is quarantined.”
Marx stated that with the lawsuit money, he would purchase apartments for the homeless, who could live there “6 months rent free, no string attached.”
He also wants an apology from Nanos.
Online records indicated that Marx was found guilty in 2024 for shoplifting.
Nanos, according to FOX News Digital, has faced previous scrutiny, including lawsuits filed by a political opponent and by one of his opposers.
Nanos allegedly placed political rival, Lt. Heather Lappin, on administrative leave during the 2024 sheriff re-election, and ordered her to not discuss it.
Lappin filed a $2 million claim against Nanos in August, according to the Arizona Daily Star. She asserted that when she chose to run for office, Nanos retaliated, which interfered with her right to a fair election.
“Sheriff Nanos and PCSD leadership waged a retaliatory campaign against Lieutenant Lappin’s career in order to undermine her candidacy.”
He also placed the head of the Pima County Deputies Organization on leave, identified as Sgt. Aaron Cross, an “outspoken opponent” of Nanos.
Cross said shortly after holding a “Deputies Don’t Want Nanos” sign on a street corner, he was placed on leave, prompting a federal lawsuit against against Nanos, Capt. Juan Navarro, and the sheriff’s department.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, Nancy was last seen on January 31 after family members dropped her off at home after dinner. They reported her missing the following day after she failed to show up for church.
Nanos has been accused of providing misinformation to the media as the search continues, The New York Post reports.
He’s also criticized for freeing up the crime scene too quickly and according to Cross, turning the investigation into an “ego case.”
Meanwhile, over $1 million is being offered in the case.
- $102,500: 88-CRIME
- $100,000: 1-800-CALL-FBI
- $1 million from the Guthrie family: 1-800-CALL-FBI (tips can be anonymous)
Tipsters can also contact the Pima County Sheriff’s Department tip line at 520-351-4900.
Homeowners in the area are encouraged to submit relevant security footage through the PCSD Evidence Submission Portal.
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[Feature Photo: Pima County, Ariz., Sheriff Chris Nanos speaks with The Associated Press, Friday, Feb. 6, 2026, in Tucson, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ty ONeil)]