Former Bernalillo County Deputy Resigns, Accepts Plea Deal for His Role in DWI Enterprise Scheme

Albuquerque –

Sheriff John Allen announced today that former Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Jeffrey Hammerel resigned earlier today. Shortly after, Hammerel accepted a plea deal in connection with a federal indictment tied to an ongoing DWI investigation.

“The Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office holds its deputies to the highest ethical and professional standards, and any violation of public trust will not be tolerated,” Allen stated. “While this case is now under the federal justice system’s jurisdiction, we remain committed to transparency and accountability.”

Sheriff Allen assured the public that the department will remain fully cooperative with federal authorities throughout the remainder of the investigation. Due to the ongoing nature of the case, BCSO will defer further comments to the appropriate agencies. Additionally, an internal policy review is underway to strengthen oversight and prevent future misconduct.

Federal Plea Agreement

According to the plea agreement, Jeffrey Hammerel, a now former deputy with the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO), has entered a plea with the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico. Hammerel has agreed to plead guilty to multiple charges, including conspiracy to commit interference with commerce by extortion under color of official right, interference with commerce by extortion under color of official right, and receiving a bribe as an agent of an organization receiving federal funds.

Hammerel admitted to conspiring with criminal defense attorney, Thomas J. Clear III, and others to intentionally fail to appear at required criminal and administrative settings for DWI-related arrests. This allowed Clear to move to dismiss the proceedings, and in return, Hammerel received cash payments and other items of value.

Under this scheme, Thomas Clear, Rick Mendez, and Hammerel arranged for Hammerel to intentionally miss required criminal and administrative proceedings related to DWI arrests, enabling Clear to seek dismissal of the cases. Additionally, as part of the scheme, Hammerel implicated a co-conspirator 1, a supervisory level BCSO deputy (not named), they assured Hammerel that there would be no consequences for failing to appear.

The plea agreement outlines the maximum penalties for the charges, including up to 20 years of imprisonment for some counts (counts 1, 2, and 3) and up to 10 years for counts 4 and 5, along with fines, supervised release, and mandatory special penalty assessments. Hammerel has acknowledged his guilt and the factual basis for the charges, and he has waived his rights to appeal the conviction and sentence, except on the grounds of ineffective assistance of counsel.

The agreement also includes provisions for restitution and cooperation with the United States Pretrial Services and Probation Office. If Hammerel violates any terms of the agreement, the United States may pursue additional charges. The plea deal is subject to the court’s approval, and the final sentence will be determined by the court.

This investigation started in 2024 and has seen three former APD officers, lawyer Thomas Clear, and his paralegal Ricardo Mendez take plea deals in this elaborate kickback scheme. Hammerel is the first BCSO Deputy to take a plea deal. Numerous other named parties are still holding out.

We did also learn today that “Rick” Ricardo Mendez suspiciously asked the courts if he could leave the state and travel Internationally. A US Magistrate Judge Karen B. Molzen granted his request to travel internationally and the acting US Attorney didn’t object.

We also learned that former BCSO Undersheriff Johann Jareno was added to the Brady-Giglio List for the Second Judicial District Attorney’s Office. We had inquired about this early yesterday morning. When we received an email reply, he had not been added to the list; however, he appears to have been added sometime after our inquiry.