Former New Mexico Police Officer convicted of drug offenses

Former New Mexico State Police Officer Daniel Capehart was recently convicted of drug offenses.

In particular, the former officer Capehart was convicted by the state of New Mexcio for distributing cannabis and methamphetamine. According to the latest lawsuit, the cannabis was allegedly originally intended for a 16-year-old girl whom he stopped. In addition, it is believed that this was also part of a separate drug-for-sex program with the girl.

According to records from the U.S. District Court, Capehart, 36, of Bloomfield was convicted last Thursday of distributing drugs in close proximity to local schools. His convictions include two cases of marijuana distribution and one case of methamphetamine distribution. These crimes can result in between five and 40 years in prison.

Former officer has a history of abuse

Prosecutors alleged the former officer stopped the teenager along with a friend in Farmington on June 15, 2018. Then he got the girl’s number and birthday and started texting her. He told her by SMS that she was “the most beautiful woman” he had ever met.

After this exchange, the girl went to see her father, and the two reported the texts to the San Juan County Sheriff’s detective. Working with the authorities, he then used the girl’s phone to send the officer a message. The officer allegedly dropped cannabis on two drop-offs for the girl he was texting, one near a high school.

In addition, the FBI contacted another young girl who said she had written with former Officer Capehart for about nine months. Capehart allegedly texted her suggesting a plan to arrest someone for transporting cannabis and then give the cannabis to the girl in exchange for sex. The day after, he stopped and arrested an undercover FBI agent, took the cannabis and left it for the girl in a location near the Central Primary Elementary School in Bloomfield.

In several cases, the amount of the drug exceeded five grams and the violations occurred within 300 meters of a school.

New Mexico Police Ethics Checked

This is not the first time New Mexico police have come under fire for practice and ethics. In 2015, the entire police program appeared to be to blame when the asset forfeiture program was officially banned.

In 2015, New Mexico law enforcement agencies were told they could no longer seize property on suspicion of drug-related crime alone. Before House Bill 560 was officially signed by then New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez, officials were allowed to pillage profitable items, including homes and cars, without conviction if suspected of drug possession.

“We will try not to seize,” said Farmington Police Chief Steve Hebbe, complaining that he was not sure how to pay for his expenses with these new restrictions.

Previously, the asset confiscation program was a quick way for police to make money from petty drug criminals. The program funded 25 percent of the operations, up to $ 100,000 a year. The money was used to buy surveillance equipment and train officers to prosecute suspected criminals. This change had officials concerned about where and how they would get their funds.

This change in policy came in the early days of discussing modern police techniques that transgress human rights boundaries, as well as in the early days of ending prohibition and abandoning or revising the war on drugs.

Of course, none of this story excuses the acts of former police officer Daniel Capehart, who is now facing five to 40 years in prison for having relationships with young women and illegally providing them with substances.