One-time face of DWI enforcement fired from New Mexico State Police amid bribery scandal

The former New Mexico State Police poster boy for DWI enforcement has been fired several months after being placed on administrative leave.

Sgt. Toby Lafave — a former State Police officer who appeared in dozens of ENDWI campaigns — was placed on leave in February after it was alleged he was involved in a sprawling scheme in which a defense attorney paid law enforcement for the dismissal of DWI cases.

Since the scheme came to light, more than a dozen law enforcement personnel have been fired or placed on leave. Federal prosecutors have secured guilty pleas from three former Albuquerque officers, one Bernalillo County deputy, attorney Thomas Clear III, and his law firm’s paralegal Ricardo “Rick” Mendez.

Lafave has not been criminally charged in the case.

“Sergeant Lafave’s employment with the New Mexico State Police was terminated on October 29, 2025,” State Police spokesperson Amanda Richards said in an email to the Journal on Thursday. Richards did not say why Lafave was fired.

Lafave is the only State Police officer to be tied to the FBI’s investigation since the racketeering and bribery scandal became public. Lafave has also been added to the 2nd Judicial District Attorney’s Brady-Giglio disclosures list, which identifies law enforcement considered not credible witnesses for testimony.

Lafave joined State Police in 2012 and touted himself as having made the most DWI arrests in the history of the agency — 3,000 during his 20-year law enforcement career.

State Police conducted an internal investigation into the allegations against Lafave after he was placed on leave, but Richards did not say Friday what that investigation found.

While on leave, Lafave continued to make his hourly wage of $54.52 and, in total, Lafave received over $78,500 in the six months before he was fired.

“Under state policy and due-process requirements, employees placed on administrative leave during an active investigation remain on paid leave until the investigation is completed or another personnel action occurs,” Richards said.

State Police Chief Troy Weisler said in February that the investigation into Lafave was “top priority.”