Former APD supervisor admits to helping set up drivers for DWI arrests - Colleen Heild, Albuquerque Journal
A former Albuquerque police lieutenant who pleaded guilty to a federal extortion charge Tuesday revealed how co-conspirators in the bribery scheme would get "targets" intoxicated so he could later pull them over for drunken driving.
One of the "targets" was a client of the mastermind of the scheme, former attorney Thomas Clear III, court records show.
In a hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Karen Molzen in Albuquerque, Justin Hunt pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit interference with commerce by extortion under color of official right.
He was released on conditions pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled.
"Justin Hunt served the community in (the Albuquerque Police Department) for 24 years," said his attorney, Ryan J. Villa, in a statement. "The conduct he took responsibility for today, represents a tiny fraction of the work he did for the community, but he recognizes his conduct was wrong and he believes in personal accountability. As an officer, he was responsible for and participated in hundreds of arrests of offenders that were not related at all to the conduct he admitted to in his plea."
Hunt is the latest of a dozen individuals, including two Albuquerque defense attorneys, to plead guilty in the ongoing federal investigation into a nearly 30-year conspiracy in which a group of DWI officers received cash, free legal services and other benefits for helping get DWI cases dismissed.
Like others who have entered guilty pleas, Hunt admitted that he conspired with Albuquerque attorney Clear and Clear's legal assistant, Ricardo Mendez, to intentionally fail to appear at required administrative and criminal proceedings for DWI offenders who hired Clear.
Clear would cite Hunt's failure to appear as grounds for dismissal, a judge would agree, and Hunt would receive benefits from Clear that included free legal help and "wheels, tires and lift kit for my Jeep."
Hunt, who worked as a DWI officer from 2011 to 2014, said DWI offenders were "both aware and unaware of the bribery scheme."
"The illegal conduct — that being me receiving benefits or payments from CLEAR and MENDEZ — would occur after I conducted the otherwise legitimate DWI arrest," according to his plea agreement.
However, the agreement states, "Clear, Mendez and I also developed another method of operating the scheme."
In that method, Mendez and others would orchestrate the traffic stop, "thereby allowing me to conduct the DWI arrest, with the expectation that I would then be paid or receive a benefit to not appear as required," according to the plea agreement.
The plea agreement states, "Under this scheme, Mendez and other co-conspirators would go out drinking with a particular target. Once that target had consumed alcohol and was heavily intoxicated, I would receive notification of where the target was driving. I would then conduct a traffic stop on the target's vehicle and arrest them for DWI."
After the arrest, and if the suspect hired Clear, he and others in the conspiracy would coordinate pretrial hearings and MVD hearings to ensure that Hunt would fail to appear.
The state criminal charges would be dismissed, no fines, fees or interlock devices would be required, and the offender's driver's license wouldn't be revoked.
Hunt's plea agreement states that in May 2014 Mendez took one of Clear's clients, identified as C.F., out drinking for C.F.'s birthday. Mendez, C.F. and others ended up at a strip club where Mendez purchased alcohol for C.F.
According to the plea agreement, "Once C.F. was preparing to drive after consuming a large amount of alcohol, Mendez alerted me to when C.F. would be leaving the strip club, what vehicle C.F. would be driving, and where C.F.'s vehicle would be. After C.F. drove out of the strip club parking lot, I conducted a traffic stop on C.F.'s vehicle (with Mendez and others in the vehicle)."
Hunt stated in the agreement that he then arrested C.F. and charged him with DWI, noting that C.F. hired Clear to defend him in the case. Hunt stated that he received the equipment for his Jeep from Mendez for his role in the arrest.
"In my police report, I purposefully omitted the information I received from Mendez prior to the stop and purposefully omitted that Mendez was in the vehicle with C.F. at the time of the stop," according to the plea agreement.
Hunt also admitted that after he left the DWI unit, he discussed non-public Internal Affairs and APD information with Mendez, including for example when then-APD officer Honorio Alba became the subject of a complaint sent to the city's Civilian Police Oversight Agency relating to Alba's handling of a DWI case in November 2023.
"I discussed this complaint with Mendez in an attempt to assist Alba from having adverse action taken against him," Hunt states in the agreement.
It isn't clear what, if any, action Mendez took in response. But the complaint about Alba, after then-APD Chief Harold Medina learned of it, helped fuel the FBI investigation into the scheme.
Winter storm could bring snowfall to Albuquerque this weekend - Natalie Robbins, Albuquerque Journal
Snow lovers hold your breath.
Areas of northern and central New Mexico could see snowfall of up to 6 inches this weekend thanks to an incoming winter storm. At least a few inches, maybe more, could drop in parts of the Duke City.
A cold front Thursday will turn into precipitation beginning Friday afternoon — a “mix of rain and snow,” according to meteorologist David Craft with the National Weather Service in Albuquerque. The NWS predicts snowfall will start Friday night, reaching its heaviest point around Saturday afternoon.
The Albuquerque area has a 40% chance of more than 3 inches of snow, Craft said. The chance for that much snowfall goes up to around 50% in Rio Rancho and 60% in Santa Fe.
“If anybody's thinking about traveling this weekend, they really need to pay close attention to the weather forecast and any warnings and advisories that we issue, because we could be looking at some road closures and some very treacherous travel,” Craft said.
In the eastern plains — which includes Clayton, Tucumcari, and Clovis — temperatures will drop below freezing Thursday night and not rise above freezing until Sunday. Highs are predicted Saturday in the teens and 20s, and lows will hit Friday and Saturday night, when the temperature could hit the single digits, Craft said.
In almost all of northern and central New Mexico, lowest temperatures should reach the single digits and teens Saturday night, except in some lower valleys, like from Glenwood to Socorro, according to Craft.
In Albuquerque, the highs will fall from the mid-50s Thursday to the low- to mid-40s Friday. On Saturday during the snowfall, it should be around 40 degrees, Craft said. Lows in the mid-20s are expected in the area this weekend.
“We had the warmest December on record, so this is going to be like a slap in the face for a lot of people,” Craft said. “It could very well catch them off guard if they’re not in the habit of checking the weather right now, because it’s just been so nice.”
Some areas of Albuquerque sit in a “snow hole” — a weather phenomenon caused by strong winds from the east blowing through Tijeras Canyon that create compressed air, which warms the atmosphere — meaning they may not receive as much snow, he said.
In parts of eastern and central Albuquerque, the chance for snow drops down to 20% because of the snow hole, Craft said.
Some of the highest snowfall is forecast across the Sangre de Cristos, where there is a 70% chance of more than 6 inches of snow, according to NWS, which may make for some great ski weather.
Sipapu Ski Resort between Taos and Santa Fe may see about 10 inches of snow this weekend, and its sister resort, Pajarito Mountain Ski Area, is expecting around 7 inches, according to spokesperson Christiana Hudson.
Natural snowfall this season has been “terrible,” Hudson said, so Sipapu has relied heavily on its artificial snowmaking system.
“We're hoping that this dump of snow will allow us to open up a lot more terrain on the upper mountain,” she said.
Ski Santa Fe is expecting between 9 and 13 inches of snow this weekend, said operations manager Tommy Long, though the resort “can’t count it until it’s on the ground.”
Some avid skiers and snowboarders will reliably hit the mountain as soon as it gets fresh snowfall, so Long anticipates a slight uptick in business
“One of the biggest advertisements for skiing and snowboarding in the state is when we get a snowstorm,” Long said.
'West Wing' actor Timothy Busfield released from New Mexico jail pending trial - By Morgan Lee and Savannah Peters, Associated Press
Actor Timothy Busfield was released from jail Tuesday night in New Mexico, where he is facing counts of child sexual abuse.
Hours earlier, Busfield's attorneys successfully argued that the actor best known for appearances in "The West Wing," "Field of Dreams" and "Thirtysomething" wasn't a danger to the community and shouldn't be behind bars while he awaits trial. Prosecutors sought to keep him in jail, outlining what they said was grooming behavior and abuse of power by Busfield over three decades.
State District Court Judge David Murphy said while the crimes Busfield is accused of inherently are dangerous and involve children, prosecutors didn't prove the public wouldn't be safe if he's released.
"There's no evidence of a pattern of criminal conduct, there are no similar allegations involving children in his past," Murphy said. "Rather this defendant self-surrendered and submitted himself to this court's jurisdiction, demonstrating compliance with the court order for his arrest."
Outside the courthouse, Busfield's wife, actor Melissa Gilbert, thanked Murphy for the ruling. She also thanked friends, relatives, co-workers and strangers who she said have showered their family with love. Gilbert, who played Laura Ingalls in the 1970s to '80s TV series "Little House on the Prairie," sat behind Busfield during the hearing. He was handcuffed and dressed in an orange jail jumpsuit.
Prosecutors declined to comment on the ruling.
Busfield is facing two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor and one count of child abuse while working as a director on the set of the TV series "The Cleaning Lady," allegations that he denies. He was booked into jail after a warrant was issued for his arrest and he turned himself in.
According to the criminal complaint, an investigator with the Albuquerque Police Department said a boy reported that Busfield touched him on his private areas over his clothing on one occasion when he was 7 years old and another time when he was 8. The boy's twin brother told authorities he was also touched by Busfield, but he did not specify where and didn't say anything because he didn't want to get in trouble, the complaint said.
During the hearing Tuesday, Busfield's attorneys pointed out that the children initially said during interviews with police that Busfield didn't touch them inappropriately. Busfield's attorneys then accused the boys' parents of coaching their children toward incriminating statements after the boys lost lucrative roles on the show.
Busfield's defense team called just one witness — Alan Caudillo, director of photography on "The Cleaning Lady" — to testify that children on set were never left alone with individuals, and that the parents were the ones who encouraged hugs with adults on the set.
According to the criminal complaint, one of the boys later disclosed during a therapy session that he was inappropriately touched by Busfield. Those records were obtained by police during the investigation.
Assistant District Attorney Savannah Brandenburg-Koch called evidence of abuse against Busfield strong and specific. She also said witnesses expressed fear about potential retaliation and professional harm.
"The boys' allegation are supported by medical findings and by their therapist," Brandenburg-Koch said. "Their accounts were specific and not exaggerated."
Arguing for Busfield's release, defense attorney Amber Fayerberg said her client will be under intense scrutiny because of publicity surrounding the charges.
"That bell can't be un-rung," Fayerberg said. "The idea that he (Busfield) could then go out and be dangerous with a child — in the world where everybody knows who he is — is absurd."
Busfield submitted letters vouching for his character, and his attorneys say he passed an independent polygraph test.
Legal experts say New Mexico is among a few states that allow polygraph evidence in criminal cases, but a judge has final say over whether one can be used. There are strict requirements for admission in court.
___
Lee reported from Santa Fe, New Mexico.
In final State of the State, NM Gov pitches collaboration (and universal child care) - Joshua Bowling, Source New Mexico
In her final State of the State address, New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham laid out an ambitious blueprint for lawmakers over the next month, with priorities ranging from her relatively new universal child care platform to longstanding public safety objectives.
She opened, however, with a video that showed her at a table in Tia Sophia’s with several of her predecessors: Republican Governors Gov. Susana Martinez, Gary Johnson and Garrey E. Carruthers (former Democratic Gov. Toney Anaya appears via phone call, as well).
The restaurant, she said, is where she’d meet the late Sen. John Arthur Smith, who died in 2024, to hash out budget items, and where many elected officials meet to talk about the future of New Mexico and its capital city.
The governor, who has not always gotten along with members of her own Democratic party, let alone Republicans, used her final speech to underscore a message of finding common ground, a theme she has spoken of more frequently in the past year, including at a public event in Utah last fall with Republican Gov. Spencer Cox.
“Let’s teach America, because I think they need to learn again, that bipartisanship is not something to give up or to leave behind,” she said during her address. “It’s the New Mexico model.”
Lujan Grisham also used the speech to make her pitch for universal child care, and to underscore her accomplishments over the last seven years.
“What we’ve built over the last seven years isn’t just a list of accomplishments,” she said. “It’s a blueprint. The story of the past seven years starts with the children who represent the future of our state.”
Paying for universal child care
Lujan Grisham first unveiled the state’s plan for universal child care last September. While questions have emerged since then about capacity, perhaps the greatest hurdle lies in the Legislature, where lawmakers appear reluctant to pay for the governor’s plan, which calls for a $160 million spending increase.
“I’m asking for a $160 million recurring increase for universal childcare to cement our legacy as a state of generational opportunity instead of a state with generational poverty,” she said in her address.
However, when lawmakers in early January presented their budget proposal, they only called for increasing the Early Childhood Education and Care Department’s spending by $13.7 million. Legislative Finance Committee analysts at the time wrote that universal free childcare will “create additional demand for childcare assistance without the necessary revenues to implement this policy decision should more people apply and qualify for subsidies.”
In Tuesday’s speech, Lujan Grisham said 10,000 additional kids are enrolled in child care because of the changes the state has made, and highlighted one specific family: Kenny and Crystal Martinez, a firefighter paramedic and emergency room nurse, respectively.
“They’ve had to rely on alternating overtime shifts to make ends meet,” the governor said, and had two children who didn’t qualify for assistance because their combined income was too high. “That meant one parent staying home while the other one was at work. That meant, as I said, 12-hour shifts at work followed by long stretches caring for the baby alone. It was lonely, it was stressful — and it’s just too damn hard.”
The governor also gave a shout-out to the other side of the equation: the child care providers, spotlighting Angela Garcia, who runs a child care center in Las Cruces.
“With the enhanced rate in universal childcare, which you all did, she‘s given everyone on her staff a raise — helping great caregivers to keep doing what they love,” Lujan Grisham said. “And now, she’s expanding her childcare centers. She’s serving an additional 80 infants and toddlers to meet the new demand for care.”
Education
Education in New Mexico is “not where it needs to be,” Lujan Grisham said in Tuesday’s address. However, she touted meaningful ground the state has gained in recent years.
In 2024, for example, nearly 80% of high school students across the state graduated on time, the highest such rate in 15 years, she said. She said she hopes to hit the national benchmark of 87% this year.
The governor also included funding and legislation to boost literacy and math rates as part of her agenda, as well as a cell phone ban.
“Our approach isn’t about troubleshooting around the edges,” she said. “It’s about rebuilding our education system from top to bottom so fewer kids fall behind, more stay engaged and more gain the skills they need.”
Last year, Lujan Grisham signed into law Senate Bill 11, which required local school districts and charter schools to adopt a wireless communication device policy. She called the policy a good “first step,” but also said she was “profoundly disappointed” lawmakers chose to amend the bill to make compliance optional for local districts.
She also called on lawmakers to permanently establish the Office of Special Education, which she established within the Public Education Department in 2023 by executive order, “so families don’t have to fight the system.”
Economic development
The governor included $150 million in tax credits “to solidify New Mexico’s position as a national leader in investment for future-forward technologies like quantum and fusion energy.”
Lujan Grisham last fall announced a $120 million dollar partnership with Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, called the Quantum Frontier Initiative, saying she wanted New Mexico to be known as the “home of quantum computing.”
This year, the company Quantinuum opened a research and development facility in New Mexico. It joins other private sector and government quantum startup efforts in the state, including the state-funded Roadrunner Quantum Venture Studio and the federally funded Quantum Tech Hub. In September, Pacific Fusion, a California-based fusion energy company, announced plans to build a $1 billion research and manufacturing campus in Albuquerque.
The state Economic Development Department in early December released a 158-page report that calls for further growth in science and technology fields including quantum systems, advanced energy and aerospace.
“When these students graduate from college or earn their certificates from trade or technical schools, we’ve got the strongest economy in history waiting for them,” Lujan Grisham said Tuesday. “Over the last seven years, we’ve added 150,000 jobs, including in rural communities.”
A December Legislative Finance Committee report found that, unlike much of the nation, New Mexico’s economy is not in or near a recession, despite President Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” having an outsized effect on New Mexico’s traditional revenue sources, including corporate income taxes.
She touted how the national firm Moody’s Ratings earlier in January upgraded New Mexico’s bond rating to one of the highest national rankings.
“The people who measure risk for a living see our state as one of the smartest bets in the country,” she said. “It means lower borrowing costs — so we can build roads, schools and housing while saving taxpayers money. It means more investor activity, bringing funding and jobs to our state. It means that after years of being underestimated, New Mexico hasn’t just arrived — ladies and gentlemen, we’re leading the way.”
Infrastructure
The recent economic growth means the state’s infrastructure needs upgrading, Lujan Grisham said.
She also called for an interest-rate buydown program to make owning a home more attainable in New Mexico.
Lujan Grisham specified in her speech money for roads and housing, specifically:
- a $1.5 billion transportation bonding package to fund major state-managed road projects and free up funds for local improvements.
- $110 million for new housing units and homelessness initiatives.
- zoning reform to expedite and increase housing production.
Climate
Lujan Grisham painted New Mexico as a national leader in renewable energy. In 2019, she signed into law the Energy Transition Act, which set benchmarks for New Mexico utilities to transition to 100% renewable energy sources.
In December, the New Mexico Environment Department unveiled a Climate Action Plan to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. The crowd gave Lujan Grisham the loudest applause of her remarks when she called on lawmakers to codify the plan into state law.
Legislation to codify the governor’s Climate Action Plan to cut pollution 45% by 2030 and meet net-zero emissions goals by 2050 will once again be heard at the Legislature. Last year, the Clear Horizons Act, sponsored by Senate President Pro Tem Mimi Stewart (D-Albuquerque), failed to advance beyond Senate Finance. This year’s legislation had not been introduced as of publication, but Stewart has described it as “shorter and leaner.”
Lujan Grisham also said she wants to see a commission to “leverage and utilize private and public investments, grow our economy and protect consumers and businesses, while meeting exploding energy demands with more clean power.”
Public Safety
Public safety has emerged as an area of frustration for the governor over her two terms. She called a special session in 2024 to focus on public safety, but her agenda was thwarted by Democratic lawmakers. She then embarked on a statewide tour to gin up support for her public safety agenda. Last year, she excoriated lawmakers at the end of the session for not adequately addressing juvenile crime in the aftermath of a March 21 mass shooting in Las Cruces.
Since then, legislative Republicans also have held town halls focused on public safety, including juvenile justice. Republican lawmakers on Tuesday cast themselves as “unlikely allies” with Lujan Grisham on public safety matters. During their own public safety town halls across New Mexico, several elected Republicans made reference to that unlikely alliance in their requests to include public safety matters on this year’s legislative agenda. Democrats, likewise, announced plans to tighten regulations on firearm dealers.
Lujan Grisham on Tuesday referenced her own frustration over the lack of progress with her public safety priorities. In the last seven years, she said she has pushed for more engagement on public safety and “more backbone.”
“If anyone tells you we’ve done enough to rein in violent crime, ask them if they would say that to a family made smaller by violence,” she said. “Would they say it to the parents trying to protect their kids? Would they say it to the children who have lost someone they love because we refused to keep dangerous criminals behind bars? I don’t think they would.”
During her State of the State, Lujan Grisham specified legislation geared at:
- juvenile justice reform to address severe teen crimes.
- assault weapons ban and gun dealer accountability to fight gun violence
- strengthening penalties on felons in possession of firearms.
- stricter pre-trial detention measures for suspects charged with violent crimes.
Senate Republicans, in a news conference immediately following the governor’s speech, said they felt vindicated by the governor’s emphasis on public safety, though Sen. Bill Sharer (R-Farmington), the minority floor leader, sharply criticized her proposals for an assault weapons ban and more accountability for sellers.
He also credited the state oil and gas industry for the accomplishments the governor touted in her speech.
“The governor took credit for a lot of stuff today, and granted, a lot of stuff happened, some of it even good,” Sharer said. “But it was because we had a thriving oil and gas industry.”
Health care
Health care also has emerged as an area of overlap between the governor and legislative Republicans.
“We’re seeing this fight play out at the national level — arguments over who deserves care, and what kind of care you deserve,” she said Tuesday. “Here’s my take: Healthcare shouldn’t depend on who you are, where you live, or how much money you make. It’s not a luxury. It should be a fundamental right in America.”
Lujan Grisham backs legislation that will address:
- medical malpractice reform to lower the cost of care and keep health care professionals in New Mexico.
- health care licensing compacts to ease staffing shortages, build a workforce pipeline and improve access for patients.
- eliminating the gross receipts tax on medical services to keep care affordable.
- building the University of New Mexico’s medical school to double enrollment and educate the next generation of health care workers.
In closing her speech, the governor returned to the theme of bipartisan agreement, asking lawmakers to “talk to each other” and spend time together at a list of local restaurants within walking distance of the Roundhouse, including Tia Sophia’s, Tomasita’s, The Pantry, The Shed, La Choza, Market Steer, Palace Prime, Pink Adobe and Plaza Cafe. “Communicate. Listen. Disagree. And keep trying.”
She also specified she did not consider her final regular session “a victory lap.”
“We’re not slowing down. We’re just going to push forward,” she said. “Let’s double down and do it all.”
House Republicans say they’ve become ‘unlikely allies’ with NM Gov ahead of her final session - Patrick Lohmann, Source New Mexico
A New Mexico House Republican leader said at a news conference at the beginning of the 30-day legislative session that Republicans have become “unlikely allies” with Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on issues like crime and health care as she heads into her final year in office.
State Rep. Rebecca Dow (R-Truth or Consequences) reflected at a Roundhouse news conference Tuesday on how the relationship between House Republicans and the governor has changed since Lujan Grisham took office in 2019. She said the GOP and Lujan Grisham have found themselves aligning more lately due to what she described as a progressive shift in the majority Democratic Legislature.
“The governor’s door is open, and especially for Republicans, around the issues that the progressive majority refused to move on,” Dow said. “And that has been around reforms with crime and the health care crisis that we’re facing in New Mexico.”
In addition to passing a budget during the 30-day session, Lujan Grisham is expected to put other items on the agenda for lawmakers that Republicans said Tuesday they’ve spent years advocating for, including juvenile criminal justice reform and health care changes.
“We’ve become unlikely allies,” Dow said. “And I think it’s an indication of how misaligned this legislative body is with the people they’re supposed to represent.”
Dow’s comments came ahead of Lujan Grisham’s final State of the State address as governor on the opening day of a packed legislative session. The governor is urging the Legislature to change the state’s criminal code regarding juvenile offenders, as well as address a state doctor shortage through interstate medical compacts and medical malpractice reforms.
When it comes to criminal justice reform, the governor relied on Republicans to introduce a host of bills legislation during a special legislative session in July 2024 that ended in just five hours after Democrats in the majority refused to take up the bills. The governor has continued calling on Democrats to do more regarding criminal justice since then, including at the end of the legislative session last year.
The governor also agreed to put medical reforms on the agenda for the session, which House Republicans said Tuesday was a result of pressure from them and the public at large. Senate Democrats, who previously stymied efforts to enter the medical compacts, announced recently that they expect to enter two such compacts for doctors and social workers this session.
However, House Democrats and House Republicans are urging the Legislature to enter more of them this session. Rep. Gail Armstrong (R-Magdalena) said at the news conference that she expects the governor to join the House in pressuring the Senate to pass more compacts than just the two.
“So the pressure’s there. New Mexico wants these compacts. Is the legislature willing to do it?” she said. “We in the House of Representatives — Republicans — we’re ready to do it.”