ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Federal investigators believe there’s
sufficient evidence to criminally charge former New Mexico State
Representative Sheryl Williams Stapleton. That’s according to a new
filing published this week in U.S. Federal Court, which in part
levies new allegations against the former Albuquerque Schools
administrator who is also still facing charges in New Mexico’s
district court.

Man, animal or inbetween?

https://www.thehistorymakers.org/sites/default/files/Sheryl_Williams
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In 1984, Williams Stapleton joined the Albuquerque Public School
District as an elementary school teacher. In 1991, she was elected
vice chair of the New Mexico Democratic Party, and later served as
its chair.

The Stapleton investigation has continued after first emerging in
July 2021. Agents with the New Mexico Attorney General’s Office
searched the former House Majority Leader’s southeast Albuquerque
home and other offices over allegations she misused funds tied to an
Albuquerque Public School program.

Investigators allege Stapleton spent years convincing the school
district to continue contracting with a company called “Robotics
Management Learning Solutions,” which provided educational software
services for student use. According to filings from the New Mexico
Attorney General’s office, Robotics was paid more than $5 million
over 13 years, and some of that money went directly to Stapleton and
her personal interests.

The scope of the federal investigation addresses an even larger
dollar amount, according to filing made by an Internal Revenue
Service (IRS) investigator last month. According to the document,
investigators are looking at where more than $6.1 million in federal
funding went.

The search warrant states that federal investigators are looking
into allegations of “theft or bribery concerning programs receiving
federal funds,” “laundering of monetary instructions,” and lastly,
“wire fraud and honest services fraud.” Stapleton has not been
formally charged in the federal investigation.

While working at APS, Stapleton was the director of the district’s
Career and Technical Education division. Federal investigators say
Stapleton controlled the procurement process in executing a contract
with “Robotics.” Procurement concerns were the original red flag
that started the state’s investigation in 2021.

“Initially, it was a series of procurement irregularities that
caught the attention of the procurement director,” said Albuquerque
Public Schools Attorney Luis Robles in a 2021 interview with KRQE
News 13. “What’s important to know is that there was a whistle
blower within APS who spoke up about what her concerns were.”

During the state’s investigation, authorities seized 24 computers,
hard drives and flash drives as evidence. According to the latest
federal filing, in late 2022, investigators were given access to the
seized devices.