Mendez faces May sentencing after 18 months in DWI bribery case

Ricardo “Rick” Mendez entered a federal courthouse in Downtown Albuquerque on Monday morning, marking one of his first public appearances since pleading guilty in early 2025. The 55-year-old arrived with a group of men in black suits and face masks, leading to a brief hearing before U.S. District Judge David Urias. During the proceeding, the judge set a sentencing date for Mendez in May, concluding the status conference without a set range for his prison term.

The case involves a racketeering scheme that began in 2008, according to Mendez’s plea agreement. He worked from the office of Albuquerque attorney Thomas Clear III, coordinating with law enforcement officers to dismiss driving while intoxicated cases. Officers failed to file paperwork or appeared for hearings, giving Clear’s firm the legal grounds to seek dismissals. In some instances, charges were never filed at all. Mendez promised suspects their cases would go away, a promise usually fulfilled if they paid.

Judge Urias expressed frustration with the pace of the prosecution, noting the investigation was triggered in 2023 by complaints from DWI suspects. Those individuals reported being propositioned or extorted by Mendez and the officers who arrested them. The scheme enriched police officers, deputies, Mendez, and Clear, while some officers received gifts or free legal services. Urias told Mendez’s attorney, Wayne Baker, and two federal prosecutors that the case needed to move forward after a three-year investigation.

Baker told reporters outside the courthouse that his client has obvious remorse and feels anxious about potential prison time. He noted Mendez has past experience in the justice system. Assistant U.S. Attorney Shana B. Long explained that processing discovery from the FBI investigation has been time-consuming and unusual. She stated that almost all discovery was applicable to Mendez because the prosecution investigated hundreds of cases. Long added that the team is trying to expedite the process.

Former Albuquerque officer Honorio Alba Jr. also appeared in court Monday, where he learned he will be sentenced in April 2027. Alba’s attorney, Nicole Moss, described the discovery as the most voluminous of her career, citing millions of pages. She noted the government’s statement of facts in Alba’s case was 40 pages long. Alba had previously been honored as Officer of the Year by Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

Both Mendez and Alba were originally set to be sentenced in the spring of 2025, but that date passed without a ruling. The two lead criminal assistant U.S. attorneys handling the case have also been assigned to defend civil habeas corpus petitions filed by noncitizen detainees. In late August, the prosecutors turned over applicable discovery for all 13 individuals awaiting sentencing, including nine former Albuquerque police officers.

A former Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office deputy was charged last week with participating in the scheme from 2018 to 2024. Former Albuquerque police Sgt. Lucas Perez, who pleaded guilty in May 2025, failed to appear for his status conference Monday. His attorneys also did not show up. It remains unclear whether the FBI investigation is continuing, and questions persist about the total money flow and other uncharged senior officers.