近距离内射合集

Former New Mexico House Majority Leader Sheryl Williams Stapleton pleaded guilty Friday to four state charges in connection with an eight-year scheme to steal state and federal education funding.

Stapleton, 69, pleaded guilty in 2nd Judicial District Court to single counts of money laundering, fraud, receiving an illegal kickback and unlawful interest in a public contract.

The longtime state representative entered the plea to the state charges just three weeks after a federal jury found her and a co-defendant guilty of dozens of federal charges.

Stapleton entered the plea in state court before Judge David Murphy.

Stapleton鈥檚 plea agreement calls for her to serve 10 1/2 years in prison concurrent with her federal sentence, said a spokeswoman for the New Mexico Department of Justice, which prosecuted the state case.

鈥淭oday's guilty plea holds Sheryl Williams Stapleton accountable for defrauding New Mexico taxpayers and abusing the public trust,鈥� said Lauren Rodriguez, the agency鈥檚 chief of staff. In addition, Stapleton agreed to pay $1,881,850 in restitution, she said.

A message left Friday for Stapleton鈥檚 attorney, Ahmad Assed, was not immediately returned.

Stapleton is scheduled Dec. 16 for a sentencing hearing on the federal charges in U.S. District Court in Albuquerque. Federal prosecutors have declined to estimate her possible sentence.

鈥淲e are pleased that the federal sentencing range will provide a significant period of incarceration beyond what the state system could impose on its own,鈥� Rodriguez said.

Stapleton had been charged in the state case with 28 criminal counts, including racketeering, money laundering, fraud and engaging in an official act for personal financial gain. Her trial, scheduled on Oct. 5 before Murphy, has been canceled.

On Aug. 14, a federal jury found Stapleton and her co-defendant, Joseph Johnson, 75, guilty on each count they faced, including bribery, mail fraud, money laundering and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Each was also convicted of one count of conspiracy to defraud the 近距离内射合集 States.

Johnson has not been charged with any state crimes.

In addition, Stapleton was convicted in federal court on three counts of fraud and false statements for failing to declare income on her personal tax returns. She was convicted of 31 federal charges in all, and Johnson of 28 charges.

Stapleton, a longtime Democratic state representative for House District 19, east of the University of New Mexico, resigned from her post in June 2021 after New Mexico Department of Justice investigators served search warrants at her home and offices. She was fired by Albuquerque Public Schools in August 2021.

During the two-week federal trial, Stapleton鈥檚 attorneys told jurors that Stapleton admitted stealing money from Johnson鈥檚 company but denied taking money from taxpayers, as prosecutors alleged.

Prosecutors said that Stapleton used her position as director of APS鈥� Career and Technical Education program to direct funding to Johnson鈥檚 company, Washington, D.C.-based Robotics Management Learning Systems LLC, which owned an education software used by the district.

Stapleton then directed $1,152,506 from Robotics' checking account into accounts she controlled using blank checks provided by Robotics, according to court records. The violations took place from July 2013 to June 2020.

Olivier Uyttebrouck covers the courts and legal affairs. You can reach him at olivier@abqjournal.com.