In his plea agreement, Clear said he worked with numerous officers from the Albuquerque Police Department, New Mexico State Police and the Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office as part of the scheme, in which officers would receive money or gifts to not appear in court as a necessary witness to the driving incident, resulting in the dismissal of the case.
Albuquerque Police Chief Harold Medina said Wednesday that his department worked with the FBI and federal prosecutors to expose the scheme and that the police force has worked internally to hold officers accountable.
An Albuquerque attorney who investigators alleged was at the center of a sweeping corruption scandal that allowed people arrested for driving while intoxicated to evade conviction has pleaded guilty to federal charges, according to a plea agreement filed Wednesday.
Thomas Clear III admitted to running what federal authorities have referred to as a “DWI Enterprise” in which his firm offered gifts and thousands of dollars in bribes to officers in exchange for having DWI cases dismissed.
Clear said the enterprise evolved over the years, growing as more Albuquerque officers began referring cases to his law firm so they could secure and increase payments to themselves.
