Trial begins for former UNM athletics director accused of embezzlement

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The trial began Monday for a former UNM Athletics director. Paul Krebs is facing embezzlement charges tied to a 2015 golf trip while he was leading the Lobos. 

The big question posed by this trial is – just because someone broke university policy on how to spend public funds, does that mean they broke the law?

Both sides gave their opening statements late Monday afternoon once a jury was selected and sworn in.

The state says by using university and Athletic Department funds to pay back the Lobo Club – which initially paid the down payment for a golf trip to Scotland – Krebs intentionally defrauded the university.

But his defense argues Krebs was using university money to pay university partners. They say while that was against UNM policy it wasn’t against the law.

“By using the university funds in this way, with the intent to deprive the university of this money, he was not only was he breaking the rules, he was breaking the law,” said Andrew Coughing with the state attorney general’s office.

After opening statements, the state started questioning its first wittiness, but that was cut short as court adjourned for the day. The trial will continue at 9 a.m. Tuesday, July 18.