Legal News for Albuquerque, New Mexico

United States of America v. Edison Brady

Albuquerque, New Mexico, criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with second degree murder, in violation of 18:1153 and 1111. Dn the afternoon of July 25, 2024, officers with the Navajo Nation Police Department responded to a fight in progress near a high-traffic Navajo Nation shopping center in Shiprock, New Mexico. Upon arrival, they found a man lying on the ground with woun... More...

United States of America v. Scott A. Spiro

Albuquerque, New Mexico criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant, Scott A. Spiro, charged with wire fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1343. Between April 2020 and December 2021, Spiro, 64, devised and carried out a scheme to defraud the federal government and federally insured financial institutions by submitting fraudulent PPP and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) applications under... More...

State of New Mexico v. Sheryl Williams Stapleton

Albuquerque, New Mexico criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with grand larceny and embezzlement of public funds. Reported by: Kent Morlan Former state Representative Sheryl Williams Stapleton was accused of took money meant for Albuquerque Public School students... More...

United States of America v. Samantha Lee

Albuquerque, New Mexico, criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with arson in violation of 18 U.S.C. 844. Reported by Kent Morlan Samantha Lee, age 41, maliciously started several fires inside a storage warehouse on Menaul Boulevard NE in Albuquerque, New Mexico, th... More...

United States of America v. Max Jaramillo

Albuquerque, New Mexico, criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with embezzlement by an officer of a labor union in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1343. Reported by: Kent Morlan Max Jaramillo, 58, served as treasurer of the National Postal Mail Handlers Union, Local 331, fro... More...

United States of America v. Willis Kylestewa

Albuquerque, New Mexico, criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with first degree murder in Indian Country. Reported by Kent Morlan On July 4, 2025, Willis Kylestewa, 42, an enrolled member of the Zuni Pueblo, drove while intoxicated with four passengers in a vehicl... More...

United States of America v. Jesus Manuel Salgueido

Albuquerque, New Mexico, criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with misdemeanor possession of cocaine in violation of 21 U.S.C. 844. Digested by Kent Morlan In 1987 the government charged Petitioner with misdemeanor possession of cocaine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. ... More...

State of New Mexico v. Bailey Zimmerman

Albuquerque, New Mexico criminal defense lawyers represented the Defendant charged with malicious damage to property and trespassing for causing $16,000 in property damage to Sandia Resort & Casino in May, 2026.... More...

State of New Mexico v. Josiah Watts and Xavrein Trotter Jr.

Albuquerque, New Mexico, criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with first-degree murder. Reported by Kent Morlan Josiah Watts and Xavrein Trotter Jr., both age 19, accused of killing Enock Elumba, who was shot by Watts during an altercation.... More...

United States of America v. Rex Crofton

Albuquerque, New Mexico, criminal defense lawyer represents the Defendant charged with damaging a local synagogue and Jewish community center. Reported by Kent Morlan Rex Crofton, 25, is accused of shattering the glass entry doors at Congregation Albert synagogue in Louisiana before go... More...

United States of America v. Seviano Kee

Albuquerque, New Mexico, criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with murder in Indian Country. Reported by: Kent Morlan On May 20, 2026, Seviano Kee, 18, and enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, stabbed John Doe with a kitchen knife during an argument, killing him. ... More...

United States of America v. Danial Adair, Daniel Nicolds, and Lary Micholds

Albuquerque, New Mexico, criminal defense lawyers represent the Defendants charged with fraudulently obtain and sell New Mexico elk hunting tags to out of state hunters and conceal the proceeds from the IRS. from approximately 2019 through 2022, Danial Adair, 44, Daniel Nicolds, 57, and his brother Lary Nicolds, 59, allegedly operated a scheme through Big Horn Outfitters in which they fraudu... More...

United States of America v. Timothy Begay

Albuquerque, New Mexico, criminal Defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with second-degree murder in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1153. Reported by Kent Morlan On December 9, 2024, Timothy Begay, 39, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, was driving drunk when he crossed the ce... More...

United States of America v. Miranda Cachini

Albuquerque, New Mexico, criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with involuntary manslaughter. By Kent Morlan Miranda Cachini, age 27, an enrolled member of the Zuni Pueblo, consumed alcoholic beverages and fell asleep while breastfeeding her 2-month-old daughter in bed. During the night, Cachini rolled over on top of the baby, causing her to pass away by asphyxiation. ... More...

United States of America v. Kevin Metcalf

Albuquerque, New Mexico, criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with illegally possessing a firearm after he shot a store employee during an attempted liquor theft at an Albuquerque business. On December 29, 2024, Kevin Metcalf, 37, entered El Rey Liquors in downtown Albuquerque and attempted to steal a bottle of alcohol. When a store employee intervened, Metcalf fled the sce... More...

State of New Mexico v. Nadine Judith Gonzales

Albuquerque, New Mexico, criminal defense lawyer John McCall represented the Defendant charged with Shoplifting (Over $2,500 but not more than $20,000) and Conspiracy to Commit Shoplifting (Over $2500, Less than $20,000) 30-16-20 provides: A. Shoplifting consists of one or more of the following acts: (1) willfully taking possession of merchandise with the intention of converting it withou... More...

State of New Mexico v. Yufang Bao and John Tunney Bao

Albuquerque, New Mexico criminal defense lawyers represent the Defendants trafficking women for commercial sex. Yufang Bao and and John Tunney Bao owned and operated six massage parlors in Albuquerque where they allegedly engaged in sex trafficking.... More...

United States of America v. Zachary Babitz

Albuquerque, New Mexico, criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with interference with commerce by committing a series of armed robberies and carjackings across New Mexico in 2024 that culminated in the fatal shooting of a victim during a carjacking in Santa Fe County. Babitz, 40, committed a series of armed robberies, carjackings, and a fatal shooting across Bernalillo, Sant... More...

United States of America v. Jose Ramirez

Albuquerque, New Mexico, criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with kidnapping. In 2018, just weeks after his release from prison for a felony firearm conviction stemming from a high-speed police chase, and while under court supervision and wearing a GPS ankle monitor, Jose Ramirez, 47, engineered a calculated and violent kidnapping-for-ransom scheme targeting his former emp... More...

United States of America v. Jose Ramirez

Albuquerque, New Mexico, criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with multiple charges, including conspiracy to kidnap, kidnapping, conspiracy to carjack, carjacking, using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and extortion in December 2025.... More...

State of New Mexico v. Francisco Solia

Bernalillo County, New Mexico, criminal defense lawyer represents the Defendant charged with being a felon in possession of firearms and road rage. Francisco Solis accused of threatening a man with a handgun and driving away in a white Ford F150. A search of the Defendant's home resulted in the seizure of: • A total of 17 magazines for various firearms • A total of 1,407 rounds of v... More...

State of New Mexico v. . Albert Rival

Albuquerque, New Mexico criminal defense lawyer represents the Defendant who brandished a fire arm. Albert Rival, 65, was a member at the North Valley Senior Center, but staff had to call the police, saying he took things too far.... More...

United States of America v. Edison Brady

Albuquerque, New Mexico, criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with econd-degree murder for fatally stabbing a man during an assault on the Navajo Nation. On July 25, 2024, officers with the Navajo Nation Police Department responded to fight in progress near a defunct business in Shiprock, New Mexico. Upon arrival, they found John Doe lying on the ground with wounds to his f... More...

Albuquerque, New Mexico, criminal defense lawyer represents the Defendant charged with burglary. Joseph Montoya was shot while burglarizing the business for a second time.... More...

United States of America v. Robert Haack

Albuquerque, New Mexico, criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with wire and mail fraud. Robert Haack, 59, carried out a years long scheme to defraud collectors by selling counterfeit jewelry falsely represented as authentic works by renowned Hopi artist Charles Loloma. The evidence established that between approximately 2008 and 2015, Haack manufactured dozens of fake Lo... More...