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The former officers worked under the Albuquerque Police
Department's driving while intoxicated unit and acknowledged
conspiring with attorney Ricardo Mendez in a yearslong scheme.
Federal investigators say that Mendez's law firm offered gifts
and thousands of dollars in bribes to officers in exchange for
having his clients’ cases dismissed.
Officers Joshua Montaño and Honorio Alba signed agreements to
plead guilty and cooperate with investigators in exchange for
leniency on charges that might otherwise result in lengthy
prison sentences. Attorneys for Montaño and Alba did not
immediately respond to phone and email messages.
Mendez last month pleaded guilty to a slew of federal charges
that include racketeering and bribery.
Clients would pay Mendez or his associate an attorney retainer
fee in cash, court records said. Then Mendez would pay officers
in cash — $5,000 or more — or in the form of gifts or legal
services to not appear in court as a necessary witness to the
driving incident, resulting in the dismissal of the case.
Albuquerque Police Chief Harold Medina praised the work of the
FBI and U.S. Attorney’s Office in Albuquerque on the
investigation. He said that Montaño and Alba resigned rather
than be interviewed by internal affairs investigators with the
Albuquerque Police Department.
"I wish I could say this is the end point, but we continue to
discover details of this conspiracy and those who participated
in it," Medina said in an email statement.
Over a dozen officers have either resigned, been placed on
administrative leave, been terminated or temporarily reassigned.
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