Española Police officer Gabe Gonzales was put on paid leave June 16 in connection with a State Police investigation into alleged embezzlement by city employees, according to Acting City Manager Veronica Albin.
Gonzales, 30, is the fifth city employee to come under fire since State Police opened the investigation June 5. City Finance Manager Andrew Perkins reported to police that multiple city employees were being issued unauthorized duplicate paychecks.
Financial specialist Trudy Gallegos, 34, and finance director Josie Lujan, 43, have since been fired, Albin said. Police officer Vince Crespin, 44, was issued a notice of pending termination, appealed it and is now on paid administrative leave. Gallegos’ mother, Bertha Galvan, was fired from her custodial position June 5. Gonzales has not been issued a notice of pending termination, Albin said.
Albin said the Finance Department is investigating any checks that are suspicious, and is focusing on the period from 2003 onward, when a new computerized accounting system was implemented. If there are suspect checks as far back as 2003, the Department will begin pulling paper files from prior years, Albin said.
“The original assessment was like $100,000, and we’re still around that amount,” Albin said in providing an estimate of the amount of missing money.
State Police Lt. Eric Garcia said Gonzales has not been named as a possible suspect in the investigation. Agents are still reviewing paperwork that may lead to future potential suspects, Garcia said, and are working their way through all city employees. No criminal charges have been filed.
The investigation initially cast suspicion on a broader pool of employees, but the Finance Department was able to quickly clear everyone but those now suspended or fired, Albin said.
Albin said when Gonzales was placed on leave, she apologized to Public Safety Chief Julian Gonzales for taking another officer off patrol. She said the shorthanded Police Department is currently testing candidates for three patrol positions and one detective position.
Gonzales already got one second chance at the police department. The Law Enforcement Academy Board suspended him for 90 days in 2007. Gonzales and former officer James Gallegos, who were heavily intoxicated, approached a man with an offer to buy $100 worth of cocaine, then tried to arrest him at Dandy Burger. Gonzales ended up pleading guilty to attempted false imprisonment and was sentenced to only probation. He was allowed back on the force within days of getting his law enforcement certification reinstated.
Gonzales did not return a call for comment.