N.M. House majority leader under investigation for racketeering, money laundering

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Law enforcement agents have executed search warrants at the home and business of state Rep. Sheryl Williams Stapleton. According to a filed warrant, she is under investigation for racketeering, money laundering and receiving illegal kickbacks.

Investigators are looking into Rep. Williams Stapleton's connections to Robotics Management Learning Systems LCC, a D.C. company that has done business with APS (Albuquerque Public Schools) since 2006. According to the warrant, every invoice issued by Robotics to APS was for an even dollar amount, no cents, and in unchanging amounts over the years. Most were reportedly for $40,000. In all, APS paid Robotics more than $5.3 million.

Rep. Williams Stapleton is also directly involved with four companies that received payments from Robotics: The Charlie Morrisey Center for Creative Assitance Inc., the Ujima Foundation, S. Williams and Associates, and local restaurant A Taste of The Caribbean. Evidence suggests that she was eventual recipient of 60% of the APS money. Investigators are looking into additional payments that were redirected into her personal bank accounts.

Rep. Williams Stapleton, a Democrat from Albuquerque, represents District 19 and was elected as Majority Floor Leader in 2017. She has served as a representative since 1995. Rep. Williams Stapleton is also an employee of the school district – she is coordinator and director of Career and Technical Education at APS.

https://www.kob.com/albuquerque-news/law-enforcement-agents-executing-search-warrants-at-home-business-of-rep-stapleton/6186008/?cat=500

[left-of-center2012]

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Racketeering, money laundering & kickbacks: AG investigates New Mexico House Majority Leader

Executive Director of the district’s Business Systems, Procurement and Accounts Payable Department, Renette Apodaca tried to get in touch with the Washington, D.C.-based company. According to the warrant a member of Apodaca’s staff called the number listed for Robotics and reported that it sounded like a personal voicemail, not typical of business. From there they noticed that the address listed for Robotics, which said it was based in Washington, D.C., was a P.O. Box in Albuquerque.

Apodaca noticed that the checks made out to Robotics were still being sent to that P.O. Box in Albuquerque, but the warrant states there was no evidence that Robotics has a license to do business in Albuquerque.

Investigators noted that all of the the checks paid to Robotics by APS between 2019 and 2020 were deposited at Albuquerque and Santa Fe Bank of America branches. The majority of the checks were deposited to the Albuquerque East Lomas branch, which is located 2 miles away from the APS administration building where Stapleton’s office is located.

A search warrant obtained for Robotics included surveillance video from that branch On May 11, 2021 which show a person, recognized as Stapleton, depositing checks from APS to Robotics for $90,900. According to the search warrant, other surveillance shows a person recognized as Stapleton depositing checks on behalf of Robotics on two other occasions in 2020.

https://www.koat.com/article/search-warrant-served-at-rep-stapletons-home/37156649