DWI Deception: Investigators intend to bring RICO charges
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The FBI and U.S. Attorney said they are using every tool available to them to uncover the extent of the DWI Deception scheme that they claim involves multiple New Mexico law enforcement agencies and at least two attorneys.
“I was surprised that it was law enforcement that was the organized crime syndicate that we were looking at,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Raul Bujanda.
The plea deal made public on Friday shows federal prosecutors intend to charge this as a RICO case.
“RICO prosecutions are fairly rare,” said U.S. Attorney for New Mexico Alex Uballez.
RICO, or Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, was passed in the 1970s to give law enforcement a tool to crack down on organized crime rings. Now it’s getting used against New Mexico law enforcement accused of organizing crime.
“This one’s unique,” Uballez said. “And, it’s I’ll say shocking. And it’s again, wide ranging.”
Now the FBI is following the money to see how wide this alleged criminal enterprise goes.
“We have forensic accountants that, that is their specific, that is their only job they do,” Bujanda said. “They’ve been assigned to this investigation to look at every single person that’s going to soon be named.”
Travel expenses, big purchases and unexplained wealth will be under the FBI microscope as this case unfolds.
“In terms of the normal legal fight that you see on a case in court, he’s [Ricardo Mendez] pled guilty,” Uballez said of the one suspect in the case to be charged. “But in terms of the broader world outside of him, the four co-conspirators that we list and then information and then the indictments and the many others who are still out there, this is not over for them.”
To leave a tip at the Albuquerque FBI Field Office, call: 505-889-1300