A special investigator was involved in a corruption scandal that rocked the law enforcement community in New Mexico for more than a decade, the first to recognize guilt in a large number of federal charges that include blackmail and bribery, according to the court records issued on Friday.
Ricardo Mendes participated in Years Between a law firm in which he worked for a specialist in defense of the driving defendants, the Albuke Police Administration, the New Mexico Police and the Burnalilo mayor’s office. Mandez admitted that since 2008 he has been giving gifts and bribes of thousands of dollars to the officers in exchange for rejecting the cases of his clients.
“I admit that since at least 2008, the DWI scheme in which the DWI Foundation has been involved in a pattern of extortion activity that included multiple bribery works, which are loaded under the law of New Mexico, as well as many crimes.” Mendez wrote in his pleading: “Acts of intervention in trade by extortion.”
Prosecutors said that the plan, which was called the driving project during sugar, will allow the violators who drive their cars while drunk with impunity.
The court records said that the clients will pay the attorney’s delegate or his partner. Then Mendes pays the officers cash – $ 5,000 or more – or in the form of gifts or legal services so that they do not appear before the court as a necessary witness in the driving accident, which leads to the case rejection, according to the court records.
As the plan continued, the officers began referring DWI cases to Mendes and his partner to demand increased payments.
Mandez said: “I admit that when drivers avoid criminal responsibility for DWI, they become more likely to drive while they are drunk in the future. Call.
According to the documents I obtained Albukirk MagazineThe investigation began after a officer stopped in August 2023. It is claimed that he told the driver that he must contact a specific lawyer, who, if appointed, will make sure that the police department will not file a case in court.
He recommended the prosecution to reduce the prison sentence on Mendes as part of the guilt acknowledgment.
The officers of the Boukirk Police Department had the largest share of the members, according to Mendes’s admission.
The head of the Police Department of Police Department, Harold Medina, pledged to conduct an internal investigation last February. Since then, dozens of officers have resigned, and they have been administratively appointed LeaveIt was temporarily finished or re -set according to the DWI’s schedule from the Director of the Albukirk Gilbert Galligos. Dozens of cases were Rejected.
The Bokerk Police Department has made administrative changes, including creating a DWI unit guide.
A deputy from the Bernalillo County Office was placed on an administrative leave last Thursday.
“The corruption has no place in the application of the law, and BCSO will fully cooperate with its federal partners,” said Sharif John Allen, who also confirmed that he was in contact with the FBI regarding the deputy’s involvement in the plan.
Mendez and Galicos lawyer did not immediately respond to the comment requests.