Press Release
Former DHS Officer Indicted for Multiple Counts of Sexual Assault
February 26, 2021
(Anchorage, Alaska) – Anchorage District Attorney Brittany Dunlop announced today that an Anchorage Grand Jury indicted Bert Christopher (“Chris”) Heitstuman on seven counts of Sexual Assault in the Second Degree and Attempted Sexual Assault in the Second Degree. Heitstuman was arrested on Thursday, February 25, and is currently being held on a $11,000 cash-only bond with a 24/7 third-party custodian required.
This indictment is the result of a multi-year investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Anchorage Police Department, with collaboration from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Alaska and the State of Alaska Department of Law. Heitstuman is accused of sexually assaulting three women over a six-year period between 2012 and 2018. Five of the seven charges stem from conduct that occurred during Heitstuman’s employment as a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Federal Protective Service (FPS) Law Enforcement Specialist.
If the public has any further information regarding Heitstuman’s activities, please call the FBI Anchorage Field Office at 907-276-4441.
If convicted at trial, Heitstuman faces a sentence of up to 99 years imprisonment. The charges in the indictment are only allegations and are not evidence of guilt. Heitstuman is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the prosecution must prove his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
# # #
Department Media Contact: Assistant Attorney General Maria Bahr or Assistant Attorney General Charlotte Rand.