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http://www.lcsun-news.com/las_cruces-opinion/ci_17139017
NEW MEXICO COUNTY SHERIFF BUSTED SELLING INK CARTRIDGES ON eBAY
ALBUQUERQUE
– Former Santa Fe County Sheriff Greg Solano, accused of selling
sheriff’s department equipment online, was arrested Wednesday on 251
counts of embezzlement and one count of fraud.”This is a dark day for
those who have put their trust in Greg Solano,” District Attorney
Matthew Chandler said as he announced the arrest in front of the Santa
Fe County courthouse.State police investigated Solano for several months
on allegations he sold new and used sheriff’s equipment on the online
sales portal eBay. He resigned Nov. 24 after nearly eight years as
sheriff, and released a letter in which he said he’d been having
financial problems and had been selling old equipment.”This was wrong,
illegal, unethical and dishonest,” he wrote.State police said their investigation found evidence Solano sold new equipment as well.
“We
do not take enjoyment in arresting a two-term sheriff, but if law
enforcement officials are not held accountable just as any other citizen
in New Mexico, then the laws in our state mean nothing,” Chandler
said.Wednesday’s arrest warrant affidavit alleged Solano had been
stealing and selling county government equipment, and using the profits
for himself. The equipment included more than 100 bulletproof vests,
numerous handcuffs and gun holsters and supplies ranging from digital
audio recorders to ink cartridges, Chandler said.An audit is still under way, but Chandler said the value of the property to date exceeds
$50,000.Solano’s
attorney, Brooke Gamble, said she hopes her client and the district
attorney could reach “some kind of agreement,” but said nothing has been
discussed. She said she told Chandler her client would waive a grand
jury and preliminary hearing.”I don’t know what the benefit would be for
the people of New Mexico to drag it on,” she said.Gamble also said
she’s puzzled by an arrest warrant in an embezzlement case since summons
are usually issued in such property crimes cases. “He admitted to what
he did,” she said. “He cooperated from day one.”A judge set bond at $25,000 cash.
Chandler
said Solano had been “living a life of undercover crime” since January
2007, when investigators allege online sales of county equipment
began.The sales unraveled after a reserve deputy in Bowie County, Texas,
contacted a bulletproof vest manufacturer about resizing a vest he had
bought on eBay. The manufacturer, concerned over the sale, discovered
the vest originally was sold to the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Department
and was purchased for Solano.Solano faces 106 fourth-degree
felony counts of embezzlement, 11 misdemeanor counts of embezzlement,
134 petty misdemeanor counts of embezzlement and one count of fraud over
$20,000, a second-degree felony and the highest degree of fraud in the
state, Chandler said.If convicted of all counts, he could get a maximum
sentence of about 250 years, said Chandler, the district attorney in
Curry and Roosevelt counties. Santa Fe County’s district attorney turned
the case over to him last year to avoid any appearance of
impropriety.Chandler said the state also would seek full restitution.
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