Approaching one year since the DWI deception scandal began at the Albuquerque Police Department, the feds have remained silent about charging anyone involved. A number of APD officers have resigned during the FBI investigation, including Honorio Alba Jr., Harvey Johnson, Joshua Montano, and Nelson Ortiz. The scandal allegedly involved directing DWI offenders to defense attorney Thomas Clear III, who would make the case go away for a price.
Joshua Montano, a DWI officer injured in a crash by a drunk driver, wrote a letter exposing issues within APD’s DWI unit. Disciplinary files revealed a pattern of missing court appearances by officers like Montano and Johnson, who faced issues with not reporting use-of-force incidents and neglecting to use body cameras.
Mark Landavazo, an Internal Affairs commander, is the only officer fired in the investigation, with most others choosing to resign. Ten officers are currently on leave, fired, or have resigned in connection to the scandal. The city took nearly eight months to release files on officers like Johnson, who failed to search a DWI arrestee for a concealed weapon.
The investigation continues to unravel the alleged corruption ring within APD, raising questions about how widespread the issue may be. With unresolved cases and a growing list of officers implicated in the scandal, the community awaits further updates on the ongoing FBI probe.
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