1/28/2011
SANTA FE – A former New Mexico Motor Vehicle Division clerk in Las Cruces has been indicted on charges of stealing money from the State while employed with MVD.
A Las Cruces grand jury on Thursday indicted William Barela on one count of embezzlement and one count of tampering with public records, both fourth-degree felonies. Barela, 33, of Las Cruces, is accused of stealing over $1,600 from MVD and then falsifying documents to cover up his alleged crime in January 2010.
“We have zero tolerance policy for anyone who betrays public trust in such an egregious and criminal fashion. We will pursue them with the full force of the law and bring them to justice,” said Demesia Padilla, Cabinet Secretary-Designate for the State Taxation & Revenue Department.
“This isolated incident doesn’t reflect the character of hundreds of hard-working and dedicated MVD employees who strive day-in and day-out to provide the best possible service to our customers,” Padilla said.
Barela will be arraigned before Third Judicial District Court Judge Fernando Macias on Feb. 7, 2011. If convicted on both counts, Barela is facing a maximum sentence of three years in prison and up to $10,000 in fines. He was employed with MVD as a clerk from March 2005 through April 2010.