{"id":40076,"date":"2012-05-21T09:11:01","date_gmt":"2012-05-21T15:11:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nmpolitics.net\/index\/?p=40076"},"modified":"2012-05-21T09:11:05","modified_gmt":"2012-05-21T15:11:05","slug":"more-charges-filed-in-sunland-park-case","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/2012\/05\/more-charges-filed-in-sunland-park-case\/","title":{"rendered":"More charges filed in Sunland Park case"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Sunland<\/a>

Heath Haussamen \/ NMPolitics.net<\/p>

Sunland Park City Hall (Photo by Heath Haussamen)<\/p><\/div>\n

To date, 15 people have been charged with crimes ranging from extortion and fraud to voter fraud and bribery.<\/h4>\n

State police have filed charges alleging that a Texas couple used fake documents to obtain New Mexico driver\u2019s licenses from the Motor Vehicle Division\u2019s office in Sunland Park.<\/p>\n

Hector and Marie Gonzales were charged Friday with felony counts of using fraudulent, counterfeit or forget documents to apply for and obtain licenses, according to a news release.<\/p>\n

Charges were expected in that investigation. District Attorney Amy Orlando told NMPolitics.net in April<\/a> that investigators were looking into fraud in the MVD office and said then that charges were likely.<\/p>\n

The two are connected to the widespread public corruption case in Sunland Park: They\u2019re the parents of Luis Rene Diaz, who was charged several weeks ago<\/a> with billing the city for lobbying services he didn\u2019t provide to obtain public money to pay the man who allegedly recorded the now-infamous extortion video of mayoral candidate Gerardo Hernandez getting a lap dance.<\/p>\n

Others were also charged Friday. Here\u2019s a recap from the Las Cruces Sun-News<\/a>:<\/p>\n

\u201cCharges against (Silvia) Gomez, the town\u2019s former senior center director, relate to her role in allegedly registering four Texas residents to vote in the March 6 Sunland Park Municipal Election. She had been charged previously<\/a> for allegedly registering another Texas couple to vote.<\/p>\n

\u201cFormer Sunland Park Public Works Director Jesus Dario Hernandez, who is still at large for his alleged role in the extortion<\/a> of Gerardo Hernandez and fraud<\/a> involving a trip to Mexico, was also charged with voter fraud.<\/p>\n

\u201cSunland Park IT Manager Gilbert Velez was charged for allegedly tampering with evidence on Feb. 21, while members of New Mexico State Police were attempting to execute a search warrant at City Hall.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

To date, 15 people have been charged with crimes ranging from extortion and fraud to voter fraud and bribery.<\/p>\n

The corruption scandal is getting national attention. Fox News interviewed Orlando this weekend and took a look at the voter fraud charges. You can watch its report here:<\/p>\n