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Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Yahoo
WATCH: DWI cases Albuquerque officers and paralegal made disappear
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – How many drunk drivers never faced charges over the last two decades as part of the so-called 'DWI Enterprise' in New Mexico? That's an answer we may never know because key players in the scheme admitted they got drivers to pay them off in exchange for not filing charges against them. Related Coverage 'Unconscionable:' Mayor talks DWI scheme, expresses trust in Albuquerque police 'We held people accountable': Chief takes credit for ending DWI scheme within APD Former APD officer named in scheme now trains DWI officers for state of New Mexico Former U.S. Attorney speaks out on DWI Unit scandal 2 Albuquerque police officers who resigned amid DWI Unit scandal now working for CYFD Governor, state's top cop respond to DWI corruption scheme In their confessions, now-former Albuquerque Police officers Joshua Montaño and Honorio Alba, Jr., and the paralegal they were working with, Ricardo 'Rick'' Mendez, told federal investigators about two of those unfiled drunk driving cases. KRQE Investigates obtained video of those arrests, pinpointing the two cases that matched based on time frames, arresting officers, initials of the drivers mentioned, plus a check of court records. Both cases were so serious that the drivers ended up in the hospital, which, as it turns out, made it even easier for them to fall off the radar. KRQE Investigates is not naming the drivers because neither faced charges after Montaño and Alba admitted they got the drivers to pay them off. 'This person could have killed us. He could have killed someone else,' Pam Roy told KRQE Investigative Reporter Ann Pierret. She vividly remembered the night she witnessed a suspected drunk driver smash his car onto northbound I-25 at the Paseo del Norte off-ramp. 'Oh, my goodness, like it was yesterday,' she added. Roy is the one who called 911 that February night in 2022. In lapel video from that night, which was obtained by KRQE Investigates, Roy is heard telling a responding officer what happened. Roy: 'I mean, I didn't see it until he actually came up off that guardrail and flipped over onto the highway on the side. Um, and you can see he came nose down, and then the car flipped over.'Officer: 'Okay.'Roy: 'I am surprised he got up.'Officer: 'Pretty lucky.'Roy: 'Oh my God, yeah.' When Roy left the scene, she said she assumed the case was in good hands. 'Thinking that when you drive away, that all those responders who showed up, all those people who were there, who chose a path of caring for other people, were going to take care of this person, get them to the hospital, and then see that due diligence down that path,' she explained. But now, three years later, KRQE Investigative Reporter Ann Pierret let her know that due diligence didn't happen. The reason why? Federal court documents show the driver played a role in a much larger scheme focused on officers and an Albuquerque law firm profiting off making DWI cases disappear— what the feds have dubbed the 'DWI enterprise.' Because responding officers suspected the driver was intoxicated, at the time, they called in Officer Montaño from APD's DWI Unit. His lapel footage obtained by KRQE Investigates showed him interacting with the driver at the hospital. The man was in a neck brace, and his whole body was roughed up. He could barely speak to the officer. Officer Montaño: 'I could smell some alcohol, man. How much did you drink tonight?'Driver: '(Inaudible) I'm sorry I (inaudible) had a little bit.'Officer Montaño: 'A little bit?'Driver: 'Yes.' Montaño conducted a few field sobriety tests, which he said helped him determine the man was driving drunk. 'I have to place you under arrest for DWI,' Montaño told the driver. But because the driver was in the hospital, it's APD protocol that Montaño would send a criminal summons in the mail rather than take him to jail that night. So, Montaño got the man's information, and then he explained to the driver, 'You're no longer in custody; you may get some paperwork in the mail in a couple weeks.' Instead, Montaño admitted he gave the driver's contact information to Albuquerque paralegal Mendez. Mendez confessed he had contacted the driver and got him to pay in exchange for Montaño not filing charges. To make that happen, Montaño said he got a portion of the driver's payment. No summons was sent. If it had been, the police report showed that the driver would have been facing a third-offense DWI. Albuquerque police sergeant allegedly connected to DWI scheme resigns Repeat offenders aren't the only ones who caught a break with an offer to participate in the DWI scheme. In April 2022, APD DWI Unit member Officer Alba was called to conduct field sobriety tests on a driver who crashed his vehicle into a pole on Lomas Boulevard. Court records show the driver had zero criminal record, and it would remain that way. In lapel video from that incident, which was obtained by KRQE Investigates, Alba is heard questioning the driver. Officer Alba: 'Okay, how much did you have to drink tonight?'Driver: 'Two drinks.' Alba asked the man for his driver's license. In another responding officer's lapel video, we see Alba place the ID in his belt and never see him return it to the driver. In his admission of guilt to the feds, Alba told investigators he often handed off licenses to Mendez. So it's believed that may have been how Mendez got in touch with this driver to offer the scheme. Alba did arrest the driver after observing 'signs of impairment' during the field sobriety tests. He drove the man to the Prisoner Transport Center and wrote in his police report that the man blew a 0.22 on the breathalyzer test twice. But this driver also spent the night in the hospital instead of a jail cell. 'I got to take you to the hospital based on your vehicle having airbag deployments. It's the jail's rules, okay?' Alba explained. But rather than issuing a criminal summons for drunk driving, Alba confessed that he received money from the driver, funneled through Mendez, in exchange for never filing charges. In a prior one-on-one interview with Raul Bujanda, special agent in charge of New Mexico's FBI, Pierret asked whether investigators would ever be able to determine how many drivers avoided charges. Bujanda acknowledged that it's possible even the key players don't know, as they were focused on collecting as many payments as possible rather than keeping track of how many people they let off the hook. He added that now knowing some drivers never faced charges makes it difficult to measure the scheme's impact on the Albuquerque community. 'These were individuals that should never have been on the road to begin with, and we let them get off the hook. So, what does that mean? They were never held accountable. The likelihood that they decided the following day, once this all was behind them, to go ahead and do the same thing all over again? It's highly likely, and who knows what might have happened at that point? The things that we don't know, the things that we haven't been able to connect together—someone that was released and got off the hook, so to speak, because of the scheme and ended up harming someone else, whether it was in a car accident or even taking someone's life. I mean, I don't even want to go there, but I mean, it's a very high possibility,' Bujanda said. The Albuquerque Police Department confirmed that it is reviewing documented cases—like these two—that did not result in charges. Federal investigators want to hear from you if you were offered or participated in the scheme. To reach the FBI Albuquerque Office directly, call 505-889-1300. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Yahoo
‘I have nothing to hide': APD Chief says he never worked in DWI unit, talks building trust
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – He served as an Albuquerque police officer before running the department. And now a federal investigation uncovered that officers were involved in a scheme to help get DWI cases dismissed throughout Chief Harold Medina's tenure. With some community members questioning if the chief could have been involved, he sat down with KRQE Investigative Reporter Ann Pierret to address the speculation. 'I'm extremely transparent, I'm extremely honest, and I have nothing to hide. And I will hit these allegations head-on with the truth,' Medina said. Related Coverage 'Unconscionable:' Mayor talks DWI scheme, expresses trust in Albuquerque police 'We held people accountable': Chief takes credit for ending DWI scheme within APD Former APD officer named in scheme now trains DWI officers for state of New Mexico Former U.S. Attorney speaks out on DWI Unit scandal 2 Albuquerque police officers who resigned amid DWI Unit scandal now working for CYFD Governor, state's top cop respond to DWI corruption scheme The chief said he had heard the talk that he worked in or oversaw the DWI unit before he became Albuquerque's police chief, even though he never did. 'I was not over the traffic section. I was the commander of the special operations division, which included the swat team, K9, EOD, which is bombs, horses, and the prisoner transport unit. So any personnel record of mine would reflect that,' Medina explained. Prior to that, the chief told KRQE Investigates that as a sergeant and lieutenant in the late 2000s, his focus was the 'party patrol'—an effort to crack down on underage drinking. 'We shared a grant with the Department of Transportation where I did underage drinking and Mothers Against Drunk Drivers recognized me for my work with underage drinking, not DWI. So people go through paperwork and they make incorrect assumptions, and the rumors spread and they spread. So I just want the public to know that is my background,' said Medina. The awards from MADD on the chief's resume caught people's attention because, as KRQE Investigates previously reported, the organization honored other APD officers implicated in the DWI dismissal scheme. One of the officers who was honored was Honorio Alba Jr. He confessed to his role in the scheme and told federal investigators that he funneled suspected drunk drivers to now-former Albuquerque Defense Attorney Thomas Clear III and his Paralegal Ricardo 'Rick' Mendez. The two then paid Alba Jr. in cash or other bribes to not show up to court hearings or to not file charges. KRQE Investigative Reporter Ann Pierret asked Medina if he knew Mendez or Clear III. Medina: 'Have no clue who Rick Mendez was. Never dealt with him.' Pierret: 'Did you know Thomas Clear at all?' Medina: 'No. I remember him from court.' Court records show that Attorney Clear III handled six cases in which Medina was involved from 1999 to 2004. Of those six cases, two were dismissed. KRQE Investigates looked through the court dockets and saw that they did not contain explanations for the two dismissed cases, likely because they're two decades old. 'There's nothing there. Keep looking. And I just have nothing to hide, and I will asking them to find everything, my team, to find everything they can on my cases. And I will publicly release that. I have nothing to hide,' Medina said. Story continues below Weather: PNM to shut off power in the East Mountains due to high winds Don't Miss: KRQE becomes home for New Mexico United matches Video: Police investigate January crash that injured 6 people in Albuquerque According to APD, Medina is one of more than 635 law enforcement members who investigated or were witness officers in dismissed cases involving Tom Clear III. The department added that the cases could have been dismissed for a number of reasons and that they are working to get KRQE Investigates the case files involving Medina. The chief added that since he didn't serve in the DWI unit, he was never the arresting officer in those cases. Pierret: 'So you're just the first on scene? Medina: 'Yes.' Pierrett: 'Or the, okay, the holding officer? Medina: 'And I did. I used to at one point in my career. We used to, I used to get asked upon to do Spanish-speaking DWI quite frequently early in my career.' In one of the chief's first interviews, when the details of the public corruption scandal were revealed, he told KRQE Investigates he didn't believe that he lost the trust of the community. Recently he acknowledged there are 'sections that don't trust APD.' The chief said the department's been working on a way to regain that trust by creating 'a dashboard that is going to track every single DWI officer, their arrest, their conviction rate, their failure to appear rate, and the reasons why they failed to appear into categories,' Medina explained. Medina said dismantling the DWI scheme prompted this new tool, saying the department has been working on it for some time and met with community advocates to get their feedback. 'We've been extremely proactive, and I haven't come out and just said, 'Oh, we're doing this, this and this.' It comes out in bits and pieces because it is a lot of work. But I'm confident we're close, and I think this dashboard, public-facing is going to help the public understand that we are watching better than ever,' said Medina. The dashboard is now live; you can find it on the Albuquerque Police Department's website here. So far, APD has named 13 officers in connection to the DWI dismissal officers who all recently served in the DWI unit took plea deals in said this is just the 'tip of the iceberg' and that he expects more officers will be implicated. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Yahoo
Bernalillo County sheriff vows to cooperate; doesn't trust feds' DWI investigation
BERNALILLO COUNTY, N.M. (KRQE) – For the first time, Bernalillo County Sheriff John Allen publicly discussed federal investigators naming one of his deputies in a scheme to make DWI cases disappear. In an interview with KRQE Investigative Reporter Ann Pierret, Allen echoed what other law enforcement officials have said: He's in favor of getting rid of the bad apples within BCSO, and he's upset for victims who have been impacted by drunk driving. But unlike what KRQE's seen with other agencies, the sheriff is waiting to act until he learns more from the feds. 'I don't agree with how the investigation is going. There's too many leaks, too many conversations, too many interviews, and too much stuff coming out,' Allen explained. Related Coverage 'Unconscionable:' Mayor talks DWI scheme, expresses trust in Albuquerque police 'We held people accountable': Chief takes credit for ending DWI scheme within APD Former APD officer named in scheme now trains DWI officers for state of New Mexico Former U.S. Attorney speaks out on DWI Unit scandal 2 Albuquerque police officers who resigned amid DWI Unit scandal now working for CYFD Governor, state's top cop respond to DWI corruption scheme The sheriff said he learned more about the federal investigation into law enforcement members taking bribes through a law firm to get DWI cases dismissed from watching KRQE's interviews with the FBI and U.S. attorney. 'Everyone always talks about relationships and they do it on the feds side. And I take their classes. Um, they might want to take a little taste of their own medicine. Communication is very key,' Allen said. Allen told KRQE that he found out a BCSO deputy was accused of taking part in the scheme when that deputy called to let the senior staff know the FBI showed up to his house for an interview. After learning about that, Allen then placed deputy Jeff Hammerel on administrative leave. When the federal investigation became public in 2024, Allen said the feds told him he didn't need to worry about anybody within BCSO at that time. 'For me, I know that there's nothing to worry about right now. It's an investigation. I was not naive to the fact that this could possibly pop up. If it's happening at Albuquerque Police Department, and we all work so closely together, this could affect my agency,' Allen explained. Now that a BCSO deputy has been implicated in the DWI scheme, Allen said he is cooperating but would've appreciated a heads-up. 'I'll cooperate with you, but I don't have any more trust in you. I'm just going to call it the way it is,' he said. KRQE's Ann Pierret asked if BCSO is conducting its own investigation like APD said it has done throughout the past year. Allen said at this point in time, he is not conducting internal affairs investigations into Hammerel or any other DWI unit members, past or current. Allen claimed he actually can't conduct internal affairs investigations when there's a criminal investigation already underway, per the union's policy. 'What's more important to me, other than an internal affairs investigation, is criminal. The internal affairs investigation is important to me to make sure that, one, the activity and nefarious activity is stopped. I don't think that's going on anymore. And I'm pretty, pretty confident of that,' said Allen. BCSO said Hammerel joined the agency in February 2010 and he served in the DWI unit from January 2013 to November 2024. BSCO said he was working in field services when he was placed on paid administrative leave on Jan. 24, 2025. KRQE Investigates looked through court records and found that from 2012 to 2023, Hammerel had 24 cases with Attorney Thomas Clear III. On Wednesday, Clear admitted to working with his Paralegal Ricardo 'Rick' Mendez to pay off officers in exchange for getting his DWI clients off the hook. And of those 24 cases, 15 were dismissed—a 62.5% dismissal rate. That is something that Allen said he is concerned with. The sheriff's concerns also extend to the possible public perception of his longtime friendship with Clear and Mendez. 'I was actually friends. Rick, donated to my campaign. I met with Tom Clear. I've talked to all of them for years; that's why. And you asked earlier about emotions. And is it alarming when it comes to Rick and Tom? It is more discouraging and disappointing to know and the perception that they had access to me. Did they ever try anything with me? No, because they know how I am already. But it really does bug me because that perception is out there,' Allen explained. It was Mendez who implicated BCSO when he admitted to his role in the 'DWI enterprise' in January. However, Mendez didn't say how many deputies he worked with. KRQE Investigative Reporter Ann Pierret asked the sheriff if he believed that Hammerel was the only BCSO member who was involved in the DWI scheme. The sheriff responded, 'I don't believe anything at this point.' Sheriff Allen said he would like to see the courts create a public database that would update in real-time, letting him, other law enforcement agencies, and the community know when and why a case is dismissed. Allen says BCSO will make their own if the court isn't on board. Also, the sheriff's office has created a new position that will keep an eye on any potential patterns that could help them identify future corruption. Allen is hoping to hire a non-law enforcement officer for that role, saying whoever is hired will report directly to his command staff. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
05-02-2025
- Yahoo
‘We held people accountable': Chief takes credit for ending DWI scheme within APD
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – The Albuquerque FBI and Albuquerque Police Department are both investigating allegations that police officers took bribes from an Albuquerque law firm in exchange for letting drunk drivers off the hook. According to a federal indictment, the so-called 'DWI Enterprise' dates back more than two decades and was mainly operated by APD officers with the help of Paralegal Ricardo 'Rick' Mendez. Mendez pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges and admitted that he worked with officers mostly from APD to get DWI cases dismissed in exchange for cash. While no officers are facing charges at this time, KRQE Investigative Reporter Ann Pierret sat down with APD Chief Harold Medina and asked if he owes the community an apology for allowing this scheme to occur within his department. Related Coverage: APD DWI officer under federal probe let suspected drunk driver go home ABQ Police Dept. provides timeline, names leader for DWI Unit investigation More cases dismissed in connection to Albuquerque police DWI scandal How far could the Albuquerque police DWI scandal reach? Albuquerque Police Chief discusses DWI case scandal Albuquerque city councilors grill APD over transparency in federal investigation Albuquerque Police Department officers placed on leave following federal raid Medina, who has led the department since 2022, pointed out it didn't start under his leadership, but ended under his leadership. 'This isn't about blaming the past. This is about this point in time, this chief, this administration got this resolved. We found out about it, we exposed it, we investigated it, and we held people accountable,' said Medina. The chief said he is not blaming past mayors or chiefs, explaining that he had a tough time uncovering the DWI scheme, saying those accused of being involved did well hiding it. According to Medina, the blame should be placed on the officers who participated in the scheme. 'It is their actions that led to so many victims not seeing justice, and to so many people not being able to see—get their day in court. So yes, the officers who were involved in this scheme, uh, and, and did wrong, should accept the blame for what they've done and how they've impacted victims,' said Medina. Because federal investigators said APD officers ran the scheme and proffited off of crime during Medina's time as chief, KRQE Investigative Reporter Ann Pierret asked him if he takes any accountability. APD Chief Harold Medina: 'As a department? Yes. We take accountability that our officers were engaged in this behavior, and we've done everything we can to make sure that they're held accountable.' KRQE Investigative Reporter Ann Pierret: 'As a department, not as the chief?' APD Chief Harold Medina: 'As the chief, I take accountability that we discovered this problem and we resolved this problem.' When asked why APD didn't discover and resolve the scheme sooner, Medina replied, 'There could always be hypothetical questions, but did we do something that worked, I think is the greatest is the biggest question. And whether people agreed with the process I took or not, it got us to where we needed to be.' KRQE also asked Chief Medina about gaining back the community's trust. He said he doesn't believe they lost it. While the investigation into the 'DWI Enterprise' continues, paralegal Rick Mendez also implicated law enforcement members from New Mexico State Police and Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office. Mendez's boss, attorney Thomas Clear III, was ordered by the New Mexico Supreme Court to 'show cause' why he should not face disciplinary action after Mendez took a plea deal implicating Clear in the DWI dismissal scandal. This comes following a similar federal order last week. So far, Clear has not been charged in connection to the scandal. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
