ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Federal agents investigating the DWI Deception scheme are getting results with five suspects in the scheme taking plea deals so far. 

But our state’s top federal prosecutor is resigning at the request of President Donald Trump. Will that impact this case? 

Alex Uballez served as U.S. attorney for New Mexico for three years. He was nominated by former President Biden and confirmed by the Senate in 2022. 

During his tenure, the U.S. attorney’s office brought to light a decades-long corruption scheme inside the Albuquerque Police Department. It involved officers taking bribes to miss court, getting DWI suspects off the hook.  

“Nothing about this is typical from the type of investigation it is, to the type of criminal conduct that we’re investigating in our own police department, a RICO conspiracy,” said Uballez. 

Five suspects in the case have taken plea deals so far, including the admitted ring leader to the operation, attorney Thomas Clear III. 

Clear’s paralegal, Rick Mendez, also pleaded guilty to charges, as did three APD officers: Joshua Montano, Honorio Alba Jr., and Neill Elsman. 

“Because it’s a different investigation, we are pursuing it in a different way. You’re not seeing complaints and indictments, what you’re seeing are convictions,” said Uballez.  

KOB 4 spoke to Uballez about the case earlier this month.

“My team, the bureau, we’ve been working around the clock to get this where this is and to keep pushing it forward,” said Uballez. 

We asked him what would happen to the case if he lost his job with the change to the Trump administration. Uballez told us it should not impact the case. 

“So while I would like to take credit for the very intelligent and dogged work on this case, the people who actually put in the hours, and days, and years, and months into this investigation will still be in the office and still pushing it forward,” said Uballez.