ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — We’re following the paper trial connected to the ongoing federal investigation into APD’s DWI unit. A new letter has surfaced that includes concerns about one of the officers under investigation.

The letter came from Bernalillo County Second Judicial District Court almost a year after the original internal complaint about the unit.

This is one more document including the name of one of the officers KOB 4 has named in connection to this investigation and supports the alleged scheme of officers putting offenders in contact with a specific attorney – and telling them their case would be dismissed if they hire them.

The court’s executive officer sent a letter to APD’s Civilian Police Oversight Agency about a former court employee’s DWI citation in August.

The letter says the arresting officer put the offender, Antonio Barron, in contact with a specific attorney “possibly named Rick.” They reportedly told Barron if he hired him, the officer would make sure “no court case would be filed.”

Documents show the arresting officer was Honorio Alba Jr. – and the case is part of the more than 150 recently dismissed DWI cases.

KOB 4 already named Alba Jr. in connection to the federal investigation, and reported he was the MADD Officer of the Year in 2023.

KOB 4 went to Barron’s home Thursday to see if he was willing to tell his side of the story, but no one answered the door.

KOB 4 has sent emails to every current board member of the CPOA requesting interviews and called the current interim executive director, but no one got back to us.

A representative from Bernalillo County District Court said the letter speaks for itself and followed the process for submitting matters, according to APD’s Internal Affairs website. The court has not had any involvement in the investigation.

Again, this is one of many letters that have gone public since we learned about the federal investigation.

City councilors sent a letter to APD Chief Harold Medina asking for transparency. Medina also sent a letter to the Public Defender’s Office including allegations about another attorney, Thomas Clear III.