Former New Mexico House Majority Leader Sheryl Williams Stapleton is facing a federal trial on 37 criminal counts, including bribery, mail fraud, and money laundering. The case centers on the alleged misuse of Albuquerque Public Schools (APS) funds paid to Robotics Management Learning Systems, a company owned by Jeff Johnson.

Allegations and Trial

Prosecutors allege that Stapleton and Johnson were involved in a scheme to defraud APS, with Robotics receiving approximately $3.25 million from 2013 to 2021, some of which came from federal grants. The indictment claims that the company spent about $806,000 on business expenses, leaving around $2.4 million unused, and that most of the money was not spent on the intended program.

Stapleton is accused of using checks from Johnson’s business to give more than $1.1 million to an Albuquerque restaurant she owned and a nonprofit she and Johnson ran. The trial began with opening statements from prosecutors and the defense, with the APS chief financial officer taking the stand as the first witness.

The prosecution presented jurors with contracts, invoices, and emails to demonstrate how APS spends its money and to map the alleged flow of misused funds. The trial is expected to take about two weeks.

Original reporting: KOAT Albuquerque — read the source article.