Albuquerque, New Mexico (AP) — A prominent Albuquerque attorney, alleged to be at the heart of a vast corruption scandal involving the manipulation of cases related to driving under the influence, has entered a guilty plea on federal charges as per a plea agreement submitted on Wednesday. Thomas Clear III has confessed to orchestrating what federal authorities have labeled a “DWI Enterprise,” in which his law firm engaged in offering incentives and substantial monetary bribes to law enforcement officers in exchange for the dismissal of DWI charges. Following this admission, Clear was promptly suspended from practicing law by the New Mexico Supreme Court.
In a significant development, Neill Elsman, a former Albuquerque police officer, also entered a guilty plea on Wednesday. Elsman was one of twelve officers placed on administrative leave when the allegations surfaced last year.
Clear pleaded guilty to charges including racketeering, bribery, and two counts of extortion. Elsman, on the other hand, pleaded guilty to accepting a bribe and two counts of attempted interference with commerce by extortion. Additionally, Clear’s former paralegal, Ricardo Mendez, had already pleaded guilty to a range of federal charges the previous month, encompassing racketeering and bribery.
Albuquerque Police Chief Harold Medina affirmed on Wednesday that his department collaborated closely with the FBI and federal prosecutors to uncover the illicit scheme. He emphasized that the police force has been proactive in holding individuals accountable internally. Apart from the three former officers who have reached plea agreements, Medina highlighted that ten officers have left the department in connection to the investigation.
Medina stated, “As I have stated before, we are committed to thorough investigation, even if it entails scrutinizing the actions of officers dating back three decades. Our inquiry continues to reveal new insights each day, and we anticipate uncovering further malfeasance as we progress.”
In his plea agreement, Clear disclosed that he collaborated with multiple officers from the Albuquerque Police Department, New Mexico State Police, and the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office as part of the orchestrated scheme. The officers would allegedly receive financial compensation or gifts to abstain from appearing in court as essential witnesses in DWI cases, consequently leading to the dismissal of charges.
Clear detailed how the enterprise expanded gradually over the years, with an increasing number of Albuquerque officers funneling cases to his firm in order to receive greater payouts. He mentioned that certain officers were involved in recruiting and training new members within the police force’s DWI unit to perpetuate the corruption scheme.
Furthermore, Clear revealed that Mendez was cautioned about avoiding certain officers within the unit who might have reported the criminal activities if they had been aware of them. Nevertheless, the entrenched nature of the scheme, spanning generations, allowed it to proliferate within almost the entire APD DWI unit over an extended period.
