Bernalillo County Sheriff's deputy pleads guilty in DWI Unit scandal
Related Coverage:
APD chief talks DWI officers convicted by feds, explains impact on internal investigation
Bernalillo County Sheriff's deputy pleads guilty in DWI Unit scandal
BCSO undersheriff resigns amid DWI dismissal scandal
New Mexico State Police Chief addresses federal probe of DWI Sgt.
DWI Advocate Reacts To Corruption Scheme
Hammerel joined BCSO in February 2010 and served in the DWI Unit from January 2013 to November 2024. After going through court records, KRQE Investigates found that he had 24 cases with former attorney Thomas Clear III, and 15 of those cases were dismissed.
Earlier this month, Clear III admitted to running the scheme. Former APD officers Honorio Alba Jr., Joshua Montaño, and Neill Elsman all pled guilty to charges relating to the scandal.
New Mexico State Police Officer Toby Lafave has been placed on leave relating to the scandal. Former BCSO Undersheriff Johann Jareno resigned on Monday. Jareno has been placed on the Giglio List which means his credibility in court has been questioned. The Bernalillo County District Attorney's Office said it is reviewing Jareno's cases to determine if any need to be dismissed.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Man arrested after deadly 2-vehicle crash in South Austin
The Brief A man was arrested after a deadly two-vehicle crash in South Austin On August 11, the crash happened at the intersection of South 1st Street and West William Cannon Drive The driver of the other vehicle died and a pedestrian was injured by debris AUSTIN, Texas - A man was arrested after a deadly two-vehicle crash in South Austin, police said. The Austin Police Department said on August 19, James Durbin was arrested and booked into the Travis County Jail. He was charged with manslaughter and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. What happened? The backstory Austin police said on August 11, around 2:37 p.m., officers responded to a two-vehicle crash at the intersection of South 1st Street and West William Cannon Drive. The driver of the first car was taken to a local hospital, and the driver of the second car, 47-year-old Samson Seablom, was pronounced dead at the scene. Additionally, a pedestrian was hit by debris and was also taken to the hospital. Anyone with any information should contact APD's Vehicular Homicide Unit at 512-974-8111. You may submit your tip anonymously through the Capital Area Crime Stoppers Program by visiting or calling 512-472-8477. The Source Information from the Austin Police Department
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Former Atlanta police officer arrested for sexual assault
The Atlanta Police Department says a former officer was arrested for a sexual assault they say happened in June. According to police, officers responded to a woman reporting a sexual assault at 226 Peachtree Street SW, which is the APD Public Safety Headquarters. The victim told police the assault happened June 6 at a different address, a home on Sparks Street. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] The victim told officers taking down the sexual assault report that she had arranged to meet an APD officer, who identified himself as Muhammad Muhammad, at the Sparks Street location. Police said the victim had met with Muhammad to provide professional massage services, which she told them he had agreed to pay for. Once the session started, though, the victim told police that Muhammad became aggressive and began physically touching her. She said she told Muhammad that her services were not sexual in nature and asked him to stop, and 'at some point, the suspect allegedly sexually assaulted the victim.' After assaulting the victim, she told officers that Muhammad then threatened her while 'brandishing a firearm' and allegedly took back what he'd paid for the massage before leaving the scene. TRENDING STORIES: Former lead guitarist of metal band Mastodon dies in Atlanta motorcycle crash URGENT: These shelter dogs will be put down if they can't find a home by 7 p.m. GA Aquarium whale shark Taroko dies Atlanta detectives with the Special Victims Unit worked with APD's Office of Professional Standards to 'extensively investigate.' The now-former officer Muhammad was placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation. On Thursday, APD said they had found probably cause to charge Muhammad. He was arrested at APD headquarters on charges of rape and false imprisonment. Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum also terminated Muhammad's employment with APD after a disciplinary hearing and the former officer was taken to the Fulton County Jail for booking. 'The Atlanta Police Department remains committed to serving its residents and holding its employees to the highest standards. We have been clear, no one is above the law, including members of our own Department,' APD said in a statement. 'These allegations are deeply troubling and run counter to the values and expectations of our agency.' Police said the investigation is ongoing. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Man pulled from car in Minneapolis remains in custody after ICE arrest
Man pulled from car in Minneapolis remains in custody after ICE arrest originally appeared on Bring Me The News. The man who was seized from a vehicle in a Minneapolis street by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol officers last Friday remains in federal custody pending deportation. Javier Yanez-Morales, 47, was arrested just after 8 a.m. on Aug. 15 near the corner of Douglas and Hennepin avenues, behind the Walker Art Center. Federal officials say he is an undocumented immigrant, and he's expected to remain in ICE custody at the Sherburne County Jail until his deportation to Mexico. Video obtained by Bring Me The News shows Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) and Border Patrol agents remove Yanez-Morales from a vehicle, place him in handcuffs, and move him to a black SUV with flashing police lights. Witnesses can be heard demanding to see a warrant, with officers saying little in response. Yanez-Morales was with his daughter, who told Bring Me The News that agents stuck their hands in her rolled-down window to unlock the doors to the vehicle and arrest her father. A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security confirmed on Tuesday that Border Patrol agents from the Grand Forks, N.D. sector supported ICE and ERO, a division of ICE, on Aug. 15 during a "targeted operation" to arrest Yanez-Morales. According to the Department of Homeland Security, Yanez-Morales has "a history of assault and multiple DWIs." Minnesota court records reveal a 2022 DWI conviction for Yanez-Morales, but no assault charges or convictions, though he has been been cited for driving without a license and driving on a suspended license. WCCO is reporting that Yanez-Morales has also been charged with a DWI following an alleged incident this July when he gave a blood-alcohol reading of 0.08, which is the same as Minnesota's legal limit. The Department of Homeland Security spokesperson didn't respond when asked for more information on Yanez-Morales' alleged criminal history, including whether any of the alleged offenses occurred in other states. After multiple attempts, a spokesperson for ICE told Bring Me The News on Tuesday that Yanez-Morales "has put the public at risk for repeatedly and selfishly choosing to drink and drive" for more than two decades and had committed other crimes, including domestic assault and false reporting. Again, it's not clear where the alleged domestic assault and false reporting offenses occurred, and more details have not been provided despite further requests. The spokesperson said Yanez-Morales "has been illegally entering the United States as far back as 1998" and has previously been deported to Mexico. While authorities say he is in the country illegally, there is a question over whether Yanez-Morales' criminal history fits the profile of the Trump Administration's focus on targeting undocumented immigrants with violent criminal histories for deportation. His daughter told BMTN that the arresting agents "were very violent" and claims they assaulted Yanez-Morales when he was in custody. She said one of his molars was broken and his request to go to a hospital was denied. Video, witnesses capture arrest unfolding One of several witnesses reached out to Bring Me The News following our initial story on Yanez-Morales' arrest, before we knew his name. Pangea Carpio-Evans and her partner saw the incident unfold. She can be heard in the video, captured by Cynthia Daggett, crying out: "This is what it looks like when our human rights are taken away." Carpio-Evans observed that one of the agents was wearing a vest with "police" across the chest and ERO on the back, though he's not a police officer, and his badge was hiding behind a walkie-talkie. She also pointed out that the vehicles used by ICE look like undercover police vehicles. Carpio-Evans told Bring Me The News that the she believes the arrest was "unconstitutional, illegal and inhumane." In the video, the bespectacled agent in the police and ERO vest can be seen wrestling with Yanez-Morales from the back of the vehicle, as two other agents outside the vehicle try to pull him from the passenger seat. During the struggle, it sounds like Yanez-Morales says to them: "What do you think you're doing? You're hurting my back." His daughter screams at the agents, repeatedly asks to see a warrant and accuses them of racial profiling as her father is arrested. The ICE spokesperson alleges that Yanez-Morales resisted arrest. They did not respond to questions regarding the warrant, the agent in the police and ERO vest, and the unmarked vehicles used by the agents. "A passenger who interfered only escalated the situation, creating unnecessary danger for themselves, bystanders, and the officers," the ICE spokesperson said in a statement. The Minneapolis Police Department and the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office weren't involved in the arrest. This story was originally reported by Bring Me The News on Aug 20, 2025, where it first appeared.
