BCSO Undersheriff resigns after FBI questioning about DWI scandal

By Colleen Heild and Matthew Reisen

The top ranks of the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Department were shaken Monday with the surprise resignation of Undersheriff Johann Jareno amid the ongoing federal investigation of a multi-year racketeering enterprise that has led to the dismissals of hundreds of DWI cases.

Bernalillo County Sheriff John Allen announced Monday that he asked for Jareno’s resignation, telling staff in an internal email that Jareno had been recently questioned by the FBI and his alleged involvement was “terrible news.”

Jareno, 45, was one of two undersheriffs appointed by Allen, who assumed office in 2023.

Jareno, a 16-year veteran of the Sheriff’s Department, has not been criminally charged and didn’t return a Journal phone call Monday requesting comment.

More than a year into their investigation, FBI agents continue to seek out those who participated in the near 30-year criminal enterprise in which law enforcement officers coordinated with a local defense attorney to get drunken driving cases thrown out of court.

Allen, in a public statement, said he was informed by the FBI on Saturday “of an ongoing inquiry that implicates a member of our command staff in the broader investigation into DWI case manipulations. Given the seriousness of the investigation, I took immediate action to preserve the integrity of the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office to prevent any potential conflicts of interest and ensure our agency’s focus remains on our mission.”

Jareno is among 13 law enforcement officers, most from the Albuquerque Police Department, to have resigned, retired, or been terminated since the FBI executed five searches in January 2024 at three officers’ residences, the home of a private investigator, and the law office of prominent DWI attorney Thomas Clear III.

The Bernalillo County District Attorney’s office so far has dismissed more than 200 pending DWI cases that had been filed by APD officers under investigation FBI. The dismissals came because their credibility was at issue because of the investigation.

Last week, New Mexico State Police placed longtime DWI Sgt. Toby LaFave on administrative leave in connection with the FBI investigation. BCSO placed Deputy Jeff Hammerel on administrative leave earlier this month.

Clear has pleaded guilty, along with his investigator Ricardo “Rick” Mendez, and three former APD DWI officers, to bribery, racketeering conspiracy, and extortion related to the organized criminal enterprise that dates back to the mid-1990s, according to federal records.

According to federal records, DWI officers would give contact information on motorists they arrested to Mendez and Clear. In exchange, they would receive cash, gifts and legal services for intentionally failing to show up to required pretrial interviews, court hearings, or by withholding evidence in cases where the suspects hired Clear. Clear would then file motions to dismiss the charges, and judges would do so as a sanction against the prosecution.

Clients whose cases were dismissed would typically pay more in legal fees, but some weren’t aware of the scheme, according to federal prosecutors.

Jareno began his employment as a deputy with BCSO in March 2009, serving in the DWI Unit from December 2011 until October 2019. Allen appointed him as undersheriff in January 2023. Undersheriffs are second-in-charge of a sheriff’s office.

Jareno appeared on at least one episode of the reality/documentary television show COPS as he was taking an unruly offender into custody.

Jareno emigrated from Chile and became a U.S. citizen with the goal of becoming a deputy with the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office in 2009, according to a prior BCSO news release.

A Journal survey of court records on Monday shows Clear was retained as a defense attorney by 17 defendants Jareno arrested for DWI or other misdemeanor charges. All but 11 of those cases were dismissed and the charges dropped.

“Overall, the ongoing DWI investigation has shed light on deep-seated issues in law enforcement that predate my administration, which began in January 2023,” Allen said in the public statement. “I am profoundly disappointed by these revelations, which undermine the hard-earned trust between the community and law enforcement. As Sheriff, my foremost responsibility is to safeguard the trust and safety of our community, which we can only achieve through transparency and ethical conduct.”

“... We are fully cooperating with the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to ensure that all aspects of this investigation are thoroughly addressed,” he stated. “I am grateful for the FBI bringing this new development to my attention directly and due to the ongoing nature of this federal inquiry, our comments must be measured, but be assured that transparency and communication will continue to be a priority of my administration.”

BCSO is undertaking a “thorough review of our internal policies and control mechanisms to prevent such incidents in the future.” he stated.

“We will be proactive in strengthening this relationship through continuous improvement of our operational practices and technological capabilities. This includes enhancements to our monitoring of court attendances and other critical areas of our operations.”