SAN LUIS — Former Costilla County Undersheriff Andrew Espinoza, 45, is on probation for a misdemeanor game violation, dropped from a class 5 felony through an agreement with the defense and DA. He was sentenced Nov. 18 by District Judge Martin Gonzales.

The change in conviction and an appellate court order remanding the case to local court was due to the fact that the recording equipment in the courtroom at San Luis malfunctioned and it was difficult to reconstruct the case, so the Colorado Parks and Wildlife agreed to the lowered sentence — a 14-month deferred sentence backed up by probation and public service.

Wildlife agents from another state launched an undercover investigation of Espinoza’s A&A Outfitters after a 2014 traffic stop of three out-of-state hunters who had deer antlers and carcasses without the proper tags.

Agents later posed as out-of-state hunters allegedly asking advice on how to secure hunting permits for a trip guided by Espinoza.

Espinoza is currently a maintenance employee for the town of Blanca and reportedly excelling. He has already satisfied the requirements set at his first sentencing and a fine  of $1,000, which was dropped and separate from the fine that was changed from restitution.

A demand Espinoza had submitted seeking $6,000 in restitution — He lost his job and a business he operated guiding hunters in the Sangre de Cristo mountains — was turned into a claim and he was ordered to pay it to CPW by the time his 14-month sentence has been served.

A probation report said he is a valuable person in the community. He and his wife are both working at helping people, as well as making ends meet.

Addressing the judge, Espinoza said he is “ready to just move on.”

In March of this year, the 12th Judicial District Court considered an order of the Colorado Court of Appeals dated March 5, vacating Mr. Espinoza’s judgment of conviction, and the grounds for relief set forth therein, it is hereby:  “Ordered and determined that the sentence imposed by the local court on Jan. 26, 2018, was vacated to the date of the reversal of his judgment of conviction, March 5, 2020. “
The matter was remanded to Costilla District Court.

It took a 12-person district court jury an estimated 12 hours Dec. 8, 2017 to find Espinoza, then 43, guilty of nine felonies and not guilty of three misdemeanors following a four-day trial on wildlife charges. Espinoza faced felony charges for illegal sale of wildlife and tampering with physical evidence and misdemeanor charges for illegal possession of wildlife, official misconduct, illegal use of electronic equipment in furtherance of a crime and complicity in hunting without a proper and valid license.

He was arrested and charged in December 2016 for offenses dating back to Nov. 4, 2014.