Ex-Public Works head admits getting kickbacks

Source: Albuquerque Journal, N.自存倉M.Aug. 30--A former Santa Fe County Public Works director acknowledged in court earlier this week that he collected about $20,000 and three trips to Las Vegas for his participation in an alleged scheme involving kickbacks on road projects.James Lujan, who was fired from his county post in 2010 after the fraud investigation emerged, testified that, despite the scheme, there was nothing wrong with the roads built by Advantage Asphalt and Seal Coating."I believe they're still good roads," Lujan said.Lujan testified at a motions hearing on Tuesday -- where he entered guilty pleas for his own role in the alleged corruption scheme -- that he probably received close to $20,000 from Advantage Asphalt owner Joe Anthony Montoya. He was also given three trips to Las Vegas, Nev., but Lujan did not specify precisely who offered him the Vegas trips.According to an audio recording of the Tuesday hearing obtained by the Journal under a records request, Lujan said that, according to documents uncovered during the investigation, he was slated to receive close to $50,000, but said he didn't get that much.He testified that what money he did receive was collected in cash from Montoya in 2008 and 2009.Montoya's attorney, Sam Bregman, told the Journal on Thursday that he wouldn't comment on Lujan's testimony.Montoya has pleaded not guilty to his charges in the case, in which prosecutors maintain county taxpayers were defrauded of more than $1 million."But I will tell you my client can't wait to try this case eventually, because he's not guilty," Bregman added.Jason Bowles, the attorney for Montoya's wife Marlene Montoya, also a defendant in the case, declined to comment.Advantage is accused, among other things, of misrepresenting work on county roads, performing substandard work, submitting false or inaccurate invoices and fraudulently collecting county payments.Lujan's testimony was part of a daylong pre-trial hearing and was in reference to a motion to dismiss charges against another defendant, Denice Sanchez, who was an assistant in Lujan's county office.The motion was rejected by retired state District Judge James Hall, who is hearing the case because sitting judges either stepped down or were excused by parties in the case.Lujan tes迷你倉新蒲崗ified that Sanchez handled paperwork related to the road projects, but that she did not know about or collect money from the scheme.He said he would sometimes have Sanchez rush the paperwork so he, Lujan, could get his share. Lujan said that Sanchez was not in the field and wouldn't have knowledge of whether the county was getting what it paid for."She (Sanchez) had no knowledge of it," Lujan said.When asked by Deputy District Attorney Regina Ryanczak whether the paperwork was handled in violation of county procedure set forth in a county memo, Lujan said he didn't recall the memo, although he said he was "probably" in meetings when it was developed.Earlier in the hearing day, Lujan pleaded guilty to eight counts of conspiracy to commit fraud and a count of bribery.The charges Lujan pleaded guilty to are all felonies, but his plea agreement caps Lujan's potential prison time at six years. Other counts of bribery and conspiracy to make false public vouchers were dropped.Sentencing will be held at a later date for Lujan, who also served more than a year as Espanola city manager after being fired from his Santa Fe County position in 2010.Lujan could be called to testify in the criminal proceedings against the other defendants in the fraud case -- Advantage Asphalt and Seal Coating as a company, the Montoyasas individuals and Sanchez. They've all entered not guilty pleas.Lujan's attorney, Dan Marlowe, said on Tuesday that Lujan is obligated to testify truthfully if called as a witness, "which he will do -- he will be honest."Sanchez is set to go to trial next month, but proceedings against the Montoyas will likely be delayed because their lawyers are appealing Hall's denial of a motion to drop their charges on double jeopardy grounds.The defense lawyers maintain that the Montoyas have already been punished because $110,000 seized from their home during the investigation has been held in an evidence room, where the Montoyas can't use it and the money isn't drawing interest. The couple now can't be punished again for the same crime, the double jeopardy motion maintains.Copyright: ___ (c)2013 the Albuquerque Journal (Albuquerque, N.M.) Visit the Albuquerque Journal (Albuquerque, N.M.) at .abqjournal.com Distributed by MCT Information Services迷你倉出租