ESPANOLA, N.M. (AP) — The Rio Arriba County Commission has chosen a new sheriff to fill a vacancy created when James Lujan resigned last week after being sentenced to prison on two felony convictions.
Billy Merrifield was sworn in as sheriff on Monday after the commission approved the appointment during a special meeting.
Lujan was sentenced to three years in prison on convictions of aiding a felon and intimidating a witness stemming from a 2017 incident in Espanola.