Darrel Turner, 61, of Farmington is a certified peer support counselor at Cottonwood Clinical Services, where he was arrested for having a stolen, loaded handgun on the property.
Darrel Turner, 61, of Farmington is a certified peer support counselor at Cottonwood Clinical Services, where he was arrested for having a stolen, loaded handgun on the property.cca

A certified peer support counselor at Cottonwood Clinical Services, Inc., has been arrested and charged with three felonies, including possession of a stolen firearm.

Darrel Turner, 61, was arrested Jan. 18 and booked into the San Juan County Detention Center on charges of possession of a firearm by a felon, a third-degree felony; receiving stolen property, a fourth-degree felony; and possession of a controlled substance, also a fourth-degree felony.

Timeline in cases of Gallegos and Turner

Sept. 13, 2023A firearm is reported stolen from the Farmington home of Leona Largo on County Road 3958. The San Juan County Sheriff’s Office later identifies Andres Gallegos, Largo’s then‑husband, as the suspect.

March 4, 2025Gallegos enters a repeat offender plea deal, pleading no contest to possession of a firearm by a felon. The larceny of a firearm charge is dismissed as part of the agreement.

March 22, 2025Gallegos is sentenced to enter the New Mexico Men’s Recovery Program, as approved by Adult Probation and Parole.

Jan. 18, 2026Cottonwood Clinical Services owner Kim Dutremaine contacts Farmington Police with concerns about employee Darrel Turner, 61, reporting he was exhibiting “strange behavior” and had been involved in a confrontation with a client. Dutremaine tells police she found a firearm inside a filing cabinet in Turner’s office and photographed it. Farmington Police respond to Cottonwood Clinical Services. Turner is detained. He initially consents to a search of his office but then withdraws permission. Police obtain a search warrant.

Jan. 18, 2026,

3:09 p.m.Police locate a black Taurus G3C 9 mm handgun in Turner’s office. The serial number matches the firearm stolen on Sept. 13, 2023. One report later refers to the weapon as a “9 mm Glock,” creating a discrepancy. The gun is found in a nylon holster with an 18‑round extended magazine. Turner is arrested and taken to the San Juan County Detention Center. During booking, a detention officer finds four clear plastic baggies containing a crystalline substance in Turner’s pocket. The substance tests positive for methamphetamine. One bag weighs 14 grams and another weighs 0.7 grams.

Jan. 20, 2026Magistrate Court Judge Erich Cole finds probable cause that Turner committed the alleged crimes. Turner is released on his own recognizance.

Jan. 28, 2026 (scheduled)Turner is ordered to appear at 8:30 a.m. in Farmington Magistrate Court for a preliminary examination.

Cottonwood Clinical Services owner Kim Dutremaine alerted Farmington Police to concerns about Turner, saying he was “exhibiting strange behavior” and had “got into a confrontation with a client,” according to the statement of probable cause. Dutremaine also told police she found a firearm in a filing cabinet in Turner’s office and photographed it, according to the document.

When officers arrived at the office Jan. 18, they detained Turner and asked to search his office. He “initially gave” and then “retracted” permission, the report states. Turner allegedly told police he had the gun “for protection,” according to the probable cause statement.

Farmington Police obtained a search warrant and at 3:09 p.m. located “a black Taurus G3C 9 mm handgun” with a serial number matching a firearm stolen Sept. 13, 2023, from Leona Largo’s home on County Road 3958 in Farmington, according to an incident report from the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office.

The handgun reportedly was stolen by Andres Gallegos, who was married to Largo at the time. Gallegos’ case proceeded through the county court system, and on March 4, 2025, he entered a repeat offender plea deal in which he pleaded no contest to possession of a firearm by a felon. In exchange, the San Juan County District Attorney’s Office dismissed a larceny of a firearm charge, court records show.

Gallegos was sentenced March 22 to enter the New Mexico Men’s Recovery program, which the Office of Adult Probation and Parole approved, according to court documents.

From the reports, it is unclear how Turner came into possession of the handgun. When Farmington Police collected it as evidence on Jan. 18, it was in a “nylon holster and had an 18-round extended magazine loaded into the magazine well,” according to the probable cause statement.

Turner was taken to the San Juan County Detention Center, where he was searched. A detention officer reportedly found “four clear plastic baggies containing a clear crystalline substance in Darrel’s left front pocket,” the report says.

The substance “tested positive for methamphetamine,” according to law enforcement. One bag weighed 14 grams and another 0.7 grams, the statement of probable cause says.

Magistrate Court Judge Erich Cole found on Jan. 20 that there was a “probable cause determination” to believe Turner “committed” the alleged crimes, according to court records. Cole released Turner on his own recognizance and ordered him to appear at 8:30 a.m. Jan. 28 in Farmington Magistrate Court for a preliminary examination.