ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Former New Mexico state Rep. Sheryl Williams Stapleton and her longtime associate Joseph Johnson were convicted Friday in federal court in Albuquerque on charges tied to a years-long bribery, fraud and money laundering scheme involving millions of dollars in Albuquerque Public Schools funding.
A federal jury returned guilty verdicts against both defendants after a nine-day trial, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico. Prosecutors said Stapleton, 69, used her positions at APS and in the New Mexico Legislature to steer millions of dollars toward Robotics Management Learning Systems, a Washington, D.C.-based company owned by Johnson, 75.
Federal prosecutors said APS paid Robotics approximately $3.25 million between 2013 and 2021 for CyberQuest software and related services. About $2.52 million of that amount came from federal Perkins education funds.
During that period, Stapleton worked for APS as director of the Perkins Project and as a career and technical education coordinator. She also represented New Mexico House District 19 from 1995 until 2021 and served as House majority floor leader from 2017 to 2021.
According to evidence presented at trial, Stapleton reviewed and approved Robotics invoices and helped facilitate contracts for the company. Prosecutors said APS checks were mailed to an Albuquerque post office box, where Stapleton retrieved them and deposited them into the Robotics bank account.
Johnson supplied Stapleton with blank checks from the Robotics account, according to prosecutors. Federal prosecutors said Stapleton ultimately received approximately $1.15 million, about 38% of the money APS paid to Robotics.
The government said those funds flowed to businesses and organizations connected to Stapleton, including S. Williams & Associates, Taste of the Caribbean restaurant and the Ujima Foundation. Prosecutors also said some of the money paid for goods and services that personally benefited Stapleton, including work on her home.
The jury convicted Stapleton of conspiracy to defraud the United States, five bribery counts involving federally funded programs, 13 counts of mail fraud and honest-services fraud, three counts involving false federal tax returns, nine money laundering counts and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Johnson was convicted of conspiracy to defraud the United States, five bribery counts, 13 mail fraud and honest-services fraud counts, nine money laundering counts and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Both defendants were released pending sentencing. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled.
The Justice Department said Stapleton faces statutory maximum penalties totaling as much as 524 years in prison, while Johnson faces maximum penalties totaling as much as 515 years. Those figures represent the maximum exposure if penalties were stacked and do not predict the sentences the judge will ultimately impose.
The court will also determine whether restitution should be ordered and, if so, the amount.
The investigation was conducted by IRS Criminal Investigation with assistance from the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office and the U.S. Department of Education Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Fred Federici and Rick Mendenhall prosecuted the case.
The verdict marks the culmination of a federal investigation spanning years.
