Former San Juan County sheriff’s employee arrested in Florida

Eli Lisko will face child-sex charge in New Mexico
A San Juan County Sheriff’s office car

A former San Juan County Sheriff’s Office employee was arrested Aug. 21 in Okaloosa County, Florida, where he was employed as an I.T. manager at the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office.

Eli Lisko, 46, of Fort Walton Beach, was charged with child sexual abuse, which allegedly occurred between January 1995 and October 1997 in San Juan County.

Lisko retired from the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office in 2021, according to the department’s social media page.

“Lisko was a valued member of the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office for many years. The crimes he is charged with occurred prior to his employment with the Sheriff’s Office,” Sheriff Shane Ferrari said in a prepared statement. “Regardless of our personal or professional relationships, our commitment to safeguarding our community and our duty to bringing criminals to justice is our highest priority.”

The allegations against Lisko were investigated by the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office, which stated he was investigated for criminal sexual penetration of a child under the age of 13.

The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office was made aware of the arrest warrant for Lisko, and the office stated he was “immediately terminated” from his position as a civilian employee.

“Mr. Lisko was an I.T. manager employed with the OCSO since September 2022. It goes without saying we took prompt action to assist New Mexico investigators in every way possible,” Sheriff Eric Aden said in a prepared statement. “I want to thank our personnel for their dedication and professionalism in handling the situation. Our hearts go out to the victim, and we pray justice will be served.”

Lisko is being held in the Okaloosa County Jail pending extradition to New Mexico.