January 26, 2026
Lift Kit Justice, Hold the Ethics
Cop-assisted extortion of DWI arrestees in New Mexico include getting them drunk
3 decades of get-them-drunk arrests and vanishing cases—locals cry cover-up
TLDR: A cop-linked DWI scheme allegedly got people drunk, set up arrests, then dumped cases; a police lieutenant pleaded guilty to extortion. Commenters slam 30 years of failure and “immunity culture,” debate entrapment vs personal choice, and demand oversight, refunds, and real accountability—because public trust is on the line.
New Mexico’s biggest cop scandal just got darker: a defense team allegedly got people drunk, queued up a friendly officer, then cashed in when DWI (driving while intoxicated) charges vanished. Lt. Justin Hunt of APD has pleaded guilty to extortion “under color of official right,” saying paralegal Rick Mendez would “orchestrate” stops—think birthday tequila at a strip club, then a traffic arrest, then no-show hearings so cases collapse. Attorney Thomas Clear and Mendez have already pleaded guilty, and the bribes allegedly ranged from cash to Jeep lift kits. The vibe online? Gobsmacked and furious.
Top comment no_wizard blasts the “30 years” timeline and the state’s victory lap: stop selling this as a win. josefritzishere throws the grenade: immunity for authority always backfires. The thread splits between “this is textbook entrapment” and “they still chose to drive.” Memes abound: “Lift Kit Justice,” “Buy 1 tequila, get 1 dismissal,” and a “Customer Acquisition Funnel” chart for the alleged scheme. Some want every tainted case reexamined, independent oversight, and public apologies; cynics predict wrist slaps and a new ad campaign. People also ask what happens to all the drivers who paid: refunds, or just regret? The takeaway: trust is wrecked, and the comments won’t forgive.
Key Points
- •Lt. Justin Hunt (APD) pleaded guilty to extortion for accepting benefits to not perform official duties in DWI cases.
- •Defense attorney Thomas Clear bribed officers for decades to secure dismissals by officers failing to appear at proceedings.
- •Paralegal Rick Mendez and associates sometimes orchestrated DWI arrests by getting targets intoxicated and notifying Hunt.
- •A 2014 example involved Mendez buying drinks for a target, after which Hunt arrested him and later skipped required hearings.
- •About two dozen individuals across agencies are implicated; roughly half, including Clear and Mendez, have pleaded guilty.