Private investigator first to admit guilt in offering bribes to free drunk drivers

A private investigator involved in a corruption scandal that rocked New Mexico’s law enforcement community for more than a decade was the first to plead guilty to a series of federal charges including racketeering and bribery, according to court records released Friday.

Ricardo Méndez participated in a one year scheme between a law firm he worked for that specialized in defending people accused of driving while intoxicated and the Albuquerque Police Department, the New Mexico State Police and the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office. Mendez admitted that since 2008 he had been offering gifts and thousands of dollars in bribes to agents in exchange for dismissing his clients’ cases.

“I admit that, since at least 2008, this DWI scheme in which I participated constituted a company (the DWI Company) that engaged in a pattern of racketeering activity that included multiple acts of bribery, chargeable under New Mexico state law , as well as multiple acts of interference in commerce through extortion,” Méndez wrote in his plea.

Dubbed “Drunk Driving,” the plan would allow drunk driving offenders to get away with it, Mendez admitted.

Clients would pay Mendez or his associate a cash attorney’s fee, according to court records. Mendez would then pay the 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 case being dismissed, according to court records. .

As the scheme continued, officers began referring DWI cases to Mendez and his associate with requests for larger payments.

“I admit that when drivers avoid criminal liability for DWI, they are more likely to drive while intoxicated in the future, and the more often a person drives while intoxicated, the more likely they are to have an accident,” Mendez said. in his plea.

According to documents obtained by the Albuquerque DiaryThe investigation began after a stop by one of the officers in August 2023. He allegedly told the driver that he should contact a specific attorney, who, if hired, would ensure that the police department did not file a case. before the court.

Prosecutors recommended a reduced prison sentence for Mendez as part of the plea deal.

Albuquerque Police Department officers had the highest membership ratio, Mendez admitted.

Albuquerque Police Department Police Chief Harold Medina promised an internal investigation last February. Since then, more than a dozen agents have resigned, been placed in administrative positions leavehas been fired or temporarily reassigned, according to a DWI timeline from Albuquerque Police Department communications director Gilbert Gallegos. Dozens of cases have been dismissed.

The Albuquerque Police Department has made administrative changes, including creating a manual for the DWI unit.

Two other Albuquerque Police Department officers were placed on administrative leave Friday as part of the federal investigation. A Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office deputy was placed on administrative leave Thursday.

“Corruption has no place in law enforcement and BCSO will fully cooperate with its federal partners,” Sheriff John Allen said in a statement. Allen also confirmed that he has been in contact with the FBI regarding the agent’s alleged involvement in the scheme.

Lawyers for Méndez and Gallegos did not immediately respond to requests for comment.