The sheriff leading the fruitless search for Nancy Guthrie has been referred to the Arizona Attorney General's Office for perjury allegations.

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos, 70, has come under fire for allegedly mishandling the probe into NBC Today Show host Savannah Guthrie's missing 84-year-old mother.

Nancy was abducted from her $1 million Tucson home in the early hours of February 1, and there have been no arrests or suspects named in the three months since. 

In the wake of the bungled investigation, Nanos has been accused of workplace retaliation and of lying about his employment history. 

On Tuesday, the Pima County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to refer Nanos' actions to the office of Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes.

'My chief concern with what's been going on within the sheriff's department is that our elected sheriff has taken no discernible efforts to repair relationships and trust within our largest department,' Supervisor Rex Scott said after the vote. 

'The most telling example of that was the unanimous vote of the Pima County Deputy's Organization declaring no confidence in his leadership.' 

Earlier in the meeting, Supervisor Steve Christy put forward a motion to have Nanos vacate the sheriff's office, but the motion failed. 

Nanos has been accused of lying about his previous work experience when he moved to Pima County, The Arizona Republic reported. 

His resume stated that he worked for the El Paso Police Department until 1984, but records obtained by the newspaper found he left the department in 1982 after a series of suspensions.

The outlet also found that in a December 2025 deposition, Nanos testified he had never been suspended at work, despite the incidents revealed in the newly uncovered records.

Nanos allegedly lied about why he left the El Paso Police Department when he applied to work in Pima County, according to the Pima County Deputy's Organization, the sheriff's department labor union.

'A FOIA of his personnel file shows he did not disclose that he resigned in lieu of termination, listing "personal reasons and better paying job" instead,' the union wrote on Facebook.

'Lying on your application would prohibit anyone from being hired.'

Nanos has also been accused of retaliating against a political rival who was also running for sheriff at the same time as him by putting her 'on paid administrative leave for political gain.'

In March, the Board of Supervisors voted to require Nanos to submit a sworn statement addressing those concerns.

He submitted a statement on April 21, but faced scrutiny from Christy and Supervisor Matt Heinz because the document was allegedly written and signed by the sheriff’s lawyer, not Nanos himself.

Nanos signed the report on May 1, and it was sent to the board, but Christy and Heinz had concerns that it was past the deadline he was initially given. 

However, on Tuesday, after receiving legal counsel's advice, the board decided to refer the allegations against Nanos to the attorney general's office.

'Responses were submitted, those responses were reviewed, and our legal counsel has informed us regarding the limits of this board's authority to proceed with any further action moving forward,' Supervisor Andres Cano said.

The Sheriff's Office acknowledged the board's concerns in a statement to the Daily Mail.

'Sheriff Chris Nanos was elected to lead the Pima County Sheriff's Department and focus on public safety in our community, and that remains his priority,' the statement said.

'Sheriff Nanos has heard Supervisor Scott's concerns and agrees that if there are issues within the agency, it is his responsibility to address them. 

'He plans to meet with union leadership to discuss concerns and determine a constructive path forward.'

The Daily Mail contacted the Arizona attorney general's office for comment.