Albuquerque police officer fired in 2016 now tied to DWI corruption scandal
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – The Bernalillo County District Attorney's Office said that, based on information from the feds, they placed former Albuquerque Police Department officer Steve Hindi on the Giglio list of officers whose credibility is compromised. He joins 13 other officers from APD, Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office, and New Mexico State police, whose credibility issues are tied to the long-running criminal scheme, in which officers took bribes to sabotage DWI cases. At this point, he has not been charged. Hindi worked on and off for APD starting in 1980.
Related Coverage:
Albuquerque police officer fired in 2016 now tied to DWI corruption scandal
DWI corruption case: Why can't we see officers plead guilty in federal court?
'We're not done yet': FBI discusses future of DWI scandal as another APD officer takes a plea
Take a look at the plea deals in New Mexico's DWI scandal
Attorney implicated in DWI scheme not arguing against license suspension
The department fired him in December 2015 after he tried to intimidate an investigator with the Civilian Police Oversight Agency over a complaint against him.
Court records show that in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Hindi had more than 50 cases with defense attorney Thomas Clear III, who admitted to being the ringleader of the criminal scheme. Two-thirds of those cases were 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 This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.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
17 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Lawsuit filed against City of Albuquerque and motel owners over shooting death in police car
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – The family of Matthew 'Solo' Garcia is demanding justice following his death after police shot him while he was handcuffed in the back of a patrol car. They are suing multiple parties, including the city and a motel owner, claiming responsibility for his death. Story continues below News: Albuquerque couple facing charges in 4-month-old's death Investigation: Politicians sink $13M in closed New Mexico tourist attraction Trending: Videos show man in dumpster getting dumped into waste truck in Albuquerque Events: Albuquerque Summerfest's 2025: What you need to know One of the attorneys representing the Garcia family, Frances Crockett Carpenter, said, 'This was a human life. This was a human who deserved the same constitutional protections as everyone else.' 'They had no right to approach his home. They had no right to question him. They had no right to arrest him and handcuff him,' said Taylor Smith, another attorney representing the family. On October 18, 2024, the city was conducting a code enforcement cleanup at the Tewa Lodge due to various safety concerns and criminal activity. APD (Albuquerque Police Department) was present to assist when they encountered Garcia, who was living at the motel. Police deemed him suspicious, so they handcuffed him and placed him in the back of a police car. Attorneys highlighted a series of issues with this arrest, beginning with the fact that Garcia was not pat down, as shown in police body camera footage. In the video, an officer can be heard saying, 'Hey, can you just keep eyes on him, please? He's moving a lot, and I haven't searched him yet.' The police later discovered that Garcia was armed. One officer asked, 'What do you have in your hand, dude?' to which Garcia replied, 'A gun.' The shooting unfolding quickly, with one officer trying to grab the gun while two others opened fire from the opposite side of the car. The attorneys also pointed out that some of the officers present lacked proper training and had a history of failing to pat down suspects. Carpenter saying, 'You make sure that your officers are trained and when they don't follow their training, they're disciplined for it. They get additional remedial training.' The attorneys also cited that the city's code enforcement department also holds some of the responsibility, arguing that they failed to notify the residents of the Tewa Lodge about the planned shutdown, violating eviction laws. They also added that the motel owners contributed to the situation by neglecting the property's upkeep, which allowed criminal activity to flourish and led to the city's intervention. 'The Tewa Lodge could have provided notice to those individuals saying you have a couple of days to get rid of the criminal activity, otherwise I have to evict you and follow the court process,' said Smith In response, the city send News 13 a statement: The City will be prepared to respond to the allegations in court. In these tough times, it's critical that our City cracks down on nests of crime, drugs and neglect. We cannot allow vulnerable people to be preyed upon, trafficked, or forced to live in squalor. That's why we're taking action to clean up problem properties across the city. When motels fail to meet basic living standards, they put tenants and the public at serious risk. From electrical hazards, disabled smoke alarms and blocked exits, to broken plumbing and pest infestations, these properties are dangerous. Code enforcement is taking action to hold them accountable, and their efforts are about health and safety, not policing. Staci Drangmeister, Director of Communications, Mayor's Office Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Lawsuit filed in fatal police shooting of man cuffed in Albuquerque officer's vehicle
Jun. 11—The fatal shooting by Albuquerque police of Matthew "Solo" Garcia while he was handcuffed in the backseat of an officer's SUV in October prompted a tense protest outside the Central Avenue motel in the hours after the killing. Garcia's family on June 2 filed a lawsuit alleging that the Albuquerque Police Department and city officials failed to follow the law and their own policies throughout the encounter on Oct. 18, 2024. "We want our officers and our department — specifically APD — to comply with our constitution," said Taylor Smith, an attorney who filed the suit. "Had that been the case from the outset, I think we would have a drastically different situation, and probably not a wrongful death lawsuit," he said. The shooting occurred after APD and city officials arrived at the Tewa Lodge to enter apartments and evict tenants, the suit alleges. The action violated the state's Uniform Owner-Resident Relations Act and city policies that regulate tenant evictions, it alleges. The lawsuit contends that officers had no right to enter Garcia's room at the Tewa Lodge on Central, just east of San Mateo, without a search warrant or to detain him without cause. It also alleges officers had ample time to search Garcia for a weapon after they cuffed him and placed him in a police vehicle. The 37-page lawsuit, filed last week in 2nd Judicial District Court, seeks undisclosed compensatory and punitive damages and costs. It names the city, APD Chief Harold Medina and three officers and others as defendants. Spokespersons for the city and APD declined Wednesday to respond to the lawsuit. "On APD's side, we will be prepared to respond to the allegations in court," APD spokesman Gilbert Gallegos said in a statement. Garcia had a loaded handgun on his person at the time he was placed into the police SUV. APD officials shared lapel video showing officers Precious Cadena and Zachary Earles firing 11 bullets through the open doors of the vehicle as a third officer wrested the gun from Garcia. "Another important aspect of this case is the fact that the officers were able to get the firearm from Mr. Garcia before they began to shoot him," Smith said. "And there was no communication between the officers when they removed the firearm." APD Chief Medina acknowledged at a news conference that Garcia was placed into the SUV without a pat-down search. An officer had put on gloves to perform a search when Garcia began banging his head against the vehicle, lapel video showed. Officers placed Garcia in the car "in an attempt to calm the situation down," Medina said. The lawsuit alleges that police had ample time to complete the pat-down search in the 40 minutes after Garcia was handcuffed but failed to do so. "It's a good amount of time in which they could have (searched Garcia) while he was being cooperative with officers," Smith said. The lawsuit also contends that the code enforcement operation police and city officials conducted violated city laws and policies and Garcia's constitutional rights. City officials intended to evict all the residents of the Tewa Lodge when they entered the property and began removing tenants from the units without warrants, it alleges. Throughout the interaction, officers "made clear that Mr. Garcia was not free to terminate the encounter and was not free to leave constituting a de facto arrest without reasonable suspicion or probable cause," the suit alleges. Smith said residents in hotel rooms have constitutional protections against unreasonable search and seizure. "You can't just summarily evict somebody because you believe there may be drugs on the property," he said. "You still have to go through the criminal process."
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Lawsuit filed in fatal police shooting of man cuffed in Albuquerque officer's vehicle
Jun. 11—The fatal shooting by Albuquerque police of Matthew "Solo" Garcia while he was handcuffed in the backseat of an officer's SUV in October prompted a tense protest outside the Central Avenue motel in the hours after the killing. Garcia's family on June 2 filed a lawsuit alleging that the Albuquerque Police Department and city officials failed to follow the law and their own policies throughout the encounter on Oct. 18, 2024. "We want our officers and our department — specifically APD — to comply with our constitution," said Taylor Smith, an attorney who filed the suit. "Had that been the case from the outset, I think we would have a drastically different situation, and probably not a wrongful death lawsuit," he said. The shooting occurred after APD and city officials arrived at the Tewa Lodge to enter apartments and evict tenants, the suit alleges. The action violated the state's Uniform Owner-Resident Relations Act and city policies that regulate tenant evictions, it alleges. The lawsuit contends that officers had no right to enter Garcia's room at the Tewa Lodge on Central, just east of San Mateo, without a search warrant or to detain him without cause. It also alleges officers had ample time to search Garcia for a weapon after they cuffed him and placed him in a police vehicle. The 37-page lawsuit, filed last week in 2nd Judicial District Court, seeks undisclosed compensatory and punitive damages and costs. It names the city, APD Chief Harold Medina and three officers and others as defendants. Spokespersons for the city and APD declined Wednesday to respond to the lawsuit. "On APD's side, we will be prepared to respond to the allegations in court," APD spokesman Gilbert Gallegos said in a statement. Garcia had a loaded handgun on his person at the time he was placed into the police SUV. APD officials shared lapel video showing officers Precious Cadena and Zachary Earles firing 11 bullets through the open doors of the vehicle as a third officer wrested the gun from Garcia. "Another important aspect of this case is the fact that the officers were able to get the firearm from Mr. Garcia before they began to shoot him," Smith said. "And there was no communication between the officers when they removed the firearm." APD Chief Medina acknowledged at a news conference that Garcia was placed into the SUV without a pat-down search. An officer had put on gloves to perform a search when Garcia began banging his head against the vehicle, lapel video showed. Officers placed Garcia in the car "in an attempt to calm the situation down," Medina said. The lawsuit alleges that police had ample time to complete the pat-down search in the 40 minutes after Garcia was handcuffed but failed to do so. "It's a good amount of time in which they could have (searched Garcia) while he was being cooperative with officers," Smith said. The lawsuit also contends that the code enforcement operation police and city officials conducted violated city laws and policies and Garcia's constitutional rights. City officials intended to evict all the residents of the Tewa Lodge when they entered the property and began removing tenants from the units without warrants, it alleges. Throughout the interaction, officers "made clear that Mr. Garcia was not free to terminate the encounter and was not free to leave constituting a de facto arrest without reasonable suspicion or probable cause," the suit alleges. Smith said residents in hotel rooms have constitutional protections against unreasonable search and seizure. "You can't just summarily evict somebody because you believe there may be drugs on the property," he said. "You still have to go through the criminal process."
