Sunland Park City Councilor Daniel De Los Santos has been charged with two fourth-degree felonies for allegedly providing alcohol to minors.
Courtesy photo
Daniel De Los Santos
De Los Santos, 22, faces two charges of selling or giving alcoholic beverages to a minor, the Las Cruces Sun-News is reporting. Each charge could land him in prison for up to 18 months.
De Los Santos is the second Sunland Park councilor to be arrested in recent weeks. In late September, Councilor Sergio R. Carrillo was arrested on charges of possession of less than an ounce of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.
And in June a federal judge evicted another councilor, Francisco Javier Jayme, from the home he’d been renting because he allegedly failed to pay more than $1 million in rent over seven years.
The situations stir up new dust in a city that has historically been plagued by controversy, most notably multiple scandals related to electoral fraud.
De Los Santos has posted a $1,000 unsecured bond. He was released Saturday from the Doña Ana County Detention Center, the Sun-News reported.
Court records state that De Los Santos “admitted that he brought his own beer (to a party) and supplied two beers to his friend… and two beers to his girlfriend,” the newspaper reported.
If convicted of a felony, De Los Santos would lose his seat on the council, which he won last year. People convicted of felonies can’t hold office in New Mexico. He will make his first appearance in court next week.
Carillo, on the other hand, doesn’t face possible removal from office because he’s charged with misdemeanors. He has waived arraignment. His next court appearance is scheduled for December.