Las Vegas, NM, officer charged in steroid possession, distribution case

Matthew Reisen, Albuquerque Journal, N.M.
·2 min read

Aug. 14—A Las Vegas, New Mexico, police officer is charged with drug possession and distribution after authorities allegedly found large quantities of steroids in his bedroom earlier this year.

Las Vegas Police Chief Antonio Salazar told the Las Vegas Optic that Patrick Maes has been placed on administrative leave while the San Miguel County Sheriff's Office investigates the allegations.

Maes, 25, was charged Aug. 3 with three counts of possession of anabolic steroids and one count of distribution of a controlled substance. He is currently on pretrial release.

His attorney could not be reached Saturday.

In May, deputies suspected Maes' younger brother Fabian was planning to smuggle drugs into the San Miguel County Detention Center, according to an arrest warrant affidavit filed in Magistrate Court. Deputies searched Maes' home, where both brothers live, and found suboxone strips in the younger brother's room.

Deputies said during the search they also found several different types of suspected steroids in Patrick Maes' bedroom, inside a shoebox on top of a pay stub from the police department. The substances were sent to a lab for testing and, on July 28, confirmed to be anabolic steroids, which are illegal to own without a prescription.

The amount of steroids found in Patrick Maes' room was enough for a five-month supply and were distributed between a labeled box, an unlabeled box and plastic baggie, according to the affidavit.

Deputies said that "based on the different packaging and quantity of the substance" they believe Patrick Maes was intending to distribute the steroids.

On a Facebook post about the charges, a man commented, "I guess the city doesn't drug test mayors or police officers... Que lastima!"

A profile apparently belonging to Fabian Maes responded to the comment, "You should get your facts straight first before opening that mouth of yours homie."

"LV law enforcement is a joke," another woman commented. The profile belonging to Fabian Maes replied, "Agree 100%."