New U.S. Attorney for New Mexico picks executive team

U.S. Attorney for New Mexico Ryan Ellison announced the appointment of a new executive leadership team on Friday, reiterating the office’s top two priorities of public safety and a secure U.S. border.

Kimberly Brawley as First Assistant U.S. Attorney, overseeing the Criminal, Civil, and Administrative Divisions. Ms. Brawley joined the office in 2007 and has worked across all sections of the Criminal Division.

Christopher McNair, who joined the office in 2018, will serve as Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney. Roberto Ortega will be the chief of the civil division, with more than 25 years as an assistant U.S. Attorney.

Niki Tapia-Brito will serve as chief of the Albuquerque Office’s Criminal Division as Chief. Ms. Tapia-Brito joined the office in 2011, after serving for 10 years as a prosecutor in the 7th and 2nd Judicial District Attorneys’ Offices.

In the Las Cruces Branch Office, Richard Williams will serve as chief of the criminal division, after joining the office in 2001 as a special assistant U.S. attorney and became an assistant U.S. Attorney in 2002.

Paige Messec will continue to serve as the Chief of the Appellate Division, which she has headed since 2018. And Jeremy Peña has been appointed as senior Litigation Counsel for the Albuquerque Criminal Division. Mr. Peña joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office in 2011.

In the Las Cruces Branch Office, Terri Abernathy will continue to serve as senior litigation counsel for the Criminal Division, a position she has held since 2010.

Ellison also has restructured the criminal division of the U.S. Attorney’s office in Albuquerque.

Supervisory assistant U.S. attorney Elaine Ramirez and deputy supervisory assistant U.S. Attorney Lou Mattei will oversee the narcotics and organized crime section.

White Collar Crimes will be led by supervisory assistant U.S. Attorney Fred Federici.

Supervisory assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel Hurtado and deputy supervisory assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Mysliwiec will head the violent and general crimes section, and supervisory assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew McGinley will oversee the Indian County crimes section.

In Las Cruces, the organized and general crimes prosecutions will be led by supervisory assistant U.S. Attorney Joni Stahl.

The office’s violent and general crimes section will be led by supervisory assistant U.S. attorney Maria Armijo.