Heath Haussamen / NMPolitics.net
The Doña Ana County Clerk’s Office, shown last week.
Some NMPolitics.net readers have expressed frustration that Doña Ana County placed on paid leave, rather than firing, four employees of the clerk’s office after they were arrested and charged in an alleged binational scam earlier this month.
Now the county is confirming that the four are no longer employees.
From county spokesman Jess Williams, as quoted by the Las Cruces Sun-News:
Williams said Monday the four personnel “are not on paid administrative leave, and they are no longer employed by the county.”
Williams didn’t specify whether the departures were firings or resignations.
Maria Ceniceros, who was a document technician in the office, is facing charges for allegedly coordinating a binational scam to cash fraudulently obtained federal tax refund checks. Ceniceros allegedly stole personal information from the county’s voter database including Social Security numbers.
The other three — Reena Rodriguez, Nadia Martinez and Emilia S. Gomez — are facing charges of conspiracy to commit forgery and violation of notary requirements. They allegedly notarized fraudulent signatures to allow the cashing of checks, though County Clerk Lynn Ellins says he doesn’t believe the notaries were knowingly part of a conspiracy.