Las Animas Police Officer Charged With Criminal Extortion, Official Misconduct

Description: Las Animas Police Officer Thomas Dunagan faces two felony criminal extortion charges and one official misconduct charge following a CBI investigation. Read the Full Report...

On September 9, 2026, formal charges were filed in Bent County District Court against Las Animas Police Department Officer Thomas Dunagan following an investigation conducted by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Dunagan has been charged with:

Two counts of Criminal Extortion (Class 4 Felony – C.R.S. § 18-3-207)

One count of First-Degree Official Misconduct (Class 1 Misdemeanor – C.R.S. § 18-8-404)

This remains an active criminal proceeding and open investigation.

All inquiries regarding the case, court proceedings, or underlying allegations should be directed to the District Attorney’s Office for the 16th Judicial District. 

All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court law.

Editor's Note: SECO News filed a records request with the Bent County Courts, who stated that the records have been sealed according to Rule 55.1.

Applicability of Rule 55.1.
The records at issue are court records filed in a pending criminal proceeding and are therefore subject to the provisions of Colorado Rule of Criminal Procedure 55.1.

The Court recognizes that criminal court records are presumptively accessible to the public.

The Court further recognizes, however, that Rule 55.1 authorizes the Court to limit public access when the requirements of the Rule are satisfied. 

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