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After botched strip club sting, detective relinquishes badge forever

Scottsdale Police that Det. Mike Sanchez
Posted at 8:04 PM, Sep 28, 2021
and last updated 2021-09-29 01:29:43-04

An Arizona detective, accused of a sex crime against an exotic dancer, will never again work as a police officer in Arizona.

Former Arizona Department of Liquor Licenses and Control Detective Mike Sanchez relinquished his peace officer certification this month, according to minutes from an Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training meeting.

Sanchez was at the center of a botched undercover sting at Skin Cabaret in Scottsdale last year. The ABC15 Investigators were the first to report on the scandal, which ended with resignations of the Liquor Department's director, deputy director, and Det. Sanchez.

Last October, Sanchez was working undercover looking for COVID-19 safety violations. While at Skin Cabaret, he paid for a private dance. Afterward, the exotic dancer made a report to Scottsdale Police accusing Sanchez of a sex crime, saying he touched her private areas without consent.

Sanchez denied the allegations and was never criminally charged. An internal investigation concluded he had been dishonest, and he resigned.

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