Before practicing criminal defense, Telles prosecuted sex crimes cases at the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, ran narcotics interdiction operations with the DEA, worked alongside the U.S. Secret Service on explosive detection task forces, and served as a law enforcement specialist and K-9 handler in the U.S. Air Force Anti-Terrorist Unit — including a deployment to the Middle East. That combination of prosecution-side experience and federal law enforcement service is the background he brings to every criminal defense case.
A graduate of the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law (2005) and Arizona State University (B.A., Political Science, 2001), Telles clerked for the Honorable Bernardo P. Velasco, U.S. Magistrate Judge for the District of Arizona, before going on to prosecute cases at the Cochise, Pima, and Maricopa County Attorney’s Offices. At the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, he worked in the Sex Crimes Unit, giving him a direct understanding of how those cases are investigated, charged, and prosecuted that most defense attorneys never acquire. He co-founded MayesTelles PLLC with Blake Mayes in 2010.
At MayesTelles PLLC, Telles has represented clients charged with the full range of felony and misdemeanor offenses — from drug charges and DUI to sex crimes, violent offenses, white collar cases, and federal matters — across Maricopa County and throughout Arizona. His prosecution background is a specific tactical advantage in criminal defense: he understands how cases are built, what prosecutors consider when evaluating a case, and where investigations tend to have vulnerabilities. In 2017, he received a Lifetime Achievement selection to America’s Top 100 Attorneys®, an invitation-only designation extended to fewer than 0.5% of all active attorneys in the United States, recognizing a career of community impact, peer reputation, significant case results, and professional experience.
Telles is admitted to practice in Arizona and Washington. He is a member of the State Bar of Arizona Criminal Justice Section and the National Trial Lawyers.
Education
- J.D. — University of Arizona, James E. Rogers College of Law (2005)
- B.A., Political Science — Arizona State University (2001)
- Law Clerk — The Honorable Bernardo P. Velasco, U.S. Magistrate Judge, District of Arizona (served 2000–2018)
Bar Admissions & Court Admissions
Bar Admissions
- State Bar of Arizona — Admitted November 2005
- State Bar of Washington — Admitted 2016
- U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona — Admitted
Courts
- U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona
- State Courts — Washington
- Maricopa County Superior Court · Pima County Superior Court · Cochise County Superior Court
- Phoenix Municipal Court · Mesa Municipal Court · Scottsdale Municipal Court · Tempe Municipal Court · Glendale City Court · Chandler Municipal Court
- Yuma County Superior Court
- Arizona Justice Courts (various)
Law Enforcement & Military Background
- Prosecutor, Sex Crimes Unit — Maricopa County Attorney’s Office
- Prosecutor — Pima County Attorney’s Office
- Prosecutor — Cochise County Attorney’s Office
- Task Force Member, Narcotics Interdiction Task Force — U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)
- Task Force Member — U.S. Secret Service, explosive detection operations
- Law Enforcement Specialist and K-9 Handler, Anti-Terrorist Unit — U.S. Air Force (Middle East deployment); Explosive Detection Task Force Member
Languages
Associations
- State Bar of Arizona — Member, Criminal Justice Section
- The National Trial Lawyers — Member
- State Bar of Washington — Member
