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Former White Mountain Apache tribal police officer charged in woman's Thanksgiving Day death

A federal grand jury has indicted a former White Mountain Apache tribal police officer in connection with the death of a woman on Thanksgiving Day last year.

Joshua Ben Anderson faces two federal charges: engaging in misleading conduct and corruptly altering and concealing evidence.

Early that morning, Anderson responded to reports of a pedestrian’s death on the White Mountain Apache Tribal lands. Just minutes before, Anderson reportedly felt his car bump into something along the same stretch of highway but didn’t report it to fellow officers.

Instead he investigated the death, notified the victim’s family. Then, officials say he went home and removed his damaged bumper to hide it. He resigned the next day.

Anderson faces up to 40 years in prison.

Fronteras Desk senior editor Michel Marizco is an award-winning investigative reporter based in Flagstaff.