An Immigration and Customs Enforcement deputy who once patrolled Lakewood streets is now facing his own criminal case. Prosecutors say former Lakewood Police patrol agent Christopher Gearhart was arrested Tuesday after a probe alleged he muted and deleted recordings from his body-worn camera during arrests over roughly two years while he worked for Lakewood. Arapahoe County deputies took Gearhart into custody, and he was later released on a $20,000 bond.
Prosecutors file 10 charges
According to the First Judicial District Attorney’s Office, investigators filed six counts of first-degree official misconduct and four counts of cybercrime against Gearhart. Court documents list the alleged offenses as occurring between July 2023 and July 2025 under case number 26M2600. The office said an investigator submitted a warrant on May 19 after an independent criminal review turned up evidence that raised the possibility of criminal violations.
Lakewood's internal probe and resignation
Lakewood officers who were on scene reported concerns to the department’s internal affairs unit after a July 22, 2025, contact involving an intoxicated woman, according to reporting. The city then placed Gearhart on administrative leave, and he resigned on Sept. 15, 2025. Reporting also states that auditors downloaded his department-issued phone and found explicit photographs and sexually explicit communications, but officials told reporters the statute of limitations prevents prosecution on those items. Lakewood Chief Philip Smith said the badge "represents a sacred bond between this organization and the citizens of Lakewood" and that the department was treating the allegations "with profound urgency," according to the Denver Gazette.
Investigators say body camera footage was altered
The district attorney’s release says audits showed Gearhart intentionally muted his department-issued body-worn camera, cut recordings short during arrests, and ran unauthorized queries of the Criminal Justice Information System (CJIS). Investigators reviewed thousands of pages of messages from his assigned work phone and tied both work-related misuse and personal communications to the probe, the office wrote. Those findings are the basis for misdemeanor counts of official misconduct and cybercrime, according to the district attorney’s office.
What happens next
Gearhart was arrested at his residence and booked into the Arapahoe County Jail before being released on a $20,000 personal recognizance bond, according to reporting. The case will move through the First Judicial District’s calendar, and prosecutors emphasized that the charges are allegations and that Gearhart is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court. Officials have asked anyone with information about the incidents to contact investigators as the office continues its review, according to reporting.
