Disgraced ex-Dem majority leader finally headed to trial in huge corruption case

Nearly five years after federal agents raided the home of former New Mexico House Majority Leader Sheryl Williams Stapleton, the disgraced Albuquerque Democrat is finally set to face trial in one of the largest public corruption cases in recent New Mexico history.

Williams Stapleton, once one of the most powerful Democrats in the New Mexico Legislature, appeared in court Thursday after federal prosecutors added two more tax fraud charges to her already sprawling federal case. She now faces 37 federal charges, including conspiracy to defraud the United States, money laundering, mail fraud, bribery involving programs receiving federal funds, fraud, and false statements.

The federal trial is currently set for August 3.

The case centers on allegations that Williams Stapleton used her positions at Albuquerque Public Schools and in the New Mexico Legislature to funnel millions of dollars connected to APS career and technical education programs through a Washington, D.C.-based company called Robotics Management Learning Systems.

Investigators say Robotics was tied to Williams Stapleton’s co-defendant, Joseph Johnson. Prosecutors allege Williams Stapleton used Johnson’s company to divert federal grant money intended for educational programs and instead used the funds for personal and political benefit.

According to the new report, federal prosecutors say Williams Stapleton embezzled $1,152,506 in federal grant funds — roughly 35% of the money APS paid to Robotics — and used the money for items including a home remodel, her family’s restaurant, her consulting company, trips, shopping, and vehicles.

As she entered court Thursday, Williams Stapleton avoided eye contact with cameras. When KRQE asked, “What do you say to the people who believe you did something wrong?” her attorney, Ahmad Assed, responded, “We don’t have any comment at this time, thank you.”

Inside the courtroom, the once-powerful lawmaker reportedly sat quietly and showed little emotion as she waited for the judge. Across the aisle was Johnson, her co-defendant.

Both Williams Stapleton and Johnson pleaded not guilty to the additional charges. Prosecutors say both could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

The long delay in the case has frustrated New Mexicans who watched the scandal explode in 2021, when Williams Stapleton resigned from the Legislature in disgrace after search warrants were served at her home and APS office.

Before the federal indictment, Williams Stapleton had already been charged in state court in 2021. Her attorney said the existence of two separate cases helped slow the process.

“This is a unique case in that Ms. Williams is facing two trials and the timeline with respect to trying the federal case first is paramount, before a state case is ensued,” Assed said. “And so that dynamic aided a lot in terms of delay with respect to trying the case.”

But the allegations have never been simple.

Piñon Post reporting from 2021 exposed how Williams Stapleton’s alleged scheme appeared to involve a web of political connections, nonprofits, shell companies, education funds, and longtime Democrat power players stretching back decades.

Robotics Management Learning Systems was registered at a Washington, D.C., address connected to Johnson, who also operated National Corrections and Rehabilitation Corporation. Johnson was also listed as president of the Ujima Foundation, another entity tied to the alleged scheme.

The relationship between Johnson and Williams Stapleton was not new. Piñon Post previously reported that Johnson and Williams Stapleton both had roots in New Mexico State University and New Mexico political circles dating back to the late 1970s and 1980s. Johnson later became a figure in former Democrat Gov. Toney Anaya’s administration, eventually rising to secretary of Health and Environment after a scandal involving state health contracts.

Johnson was later charged in connection with bribery, fraud, conspiracy, kickbacks, and racketeering allegations from that era, though the charges were ultimately dismissed after a key witness recanted. He later returned to political work and became associated with Jesse Jackson’s Rainbow Coalition.

Williams Stapleton also had ties to the Rainbow Coalition. Piñon Post previously noted that she was listed as the New Mexico contact for the group and was active in the organization in the late 1980s.

Those old connections matter because prosecutors now allege the APS scheme relied on the same types of entities and political relationships that allowed millions in education funds to move with little scrutiny.

At the Legislature, Williams Stapleton was not a backbencher. She was the second-highest-ranking Democrat in the New Mexico House and served for decades while also working as an APS administrator. Critics have long argued that dual role gave her unusual influence over education policy, appropriations, and public-school spending.

Piñon Post previously reported that Williams Stapleton sponsored or supported legislation related to career and technical education — the same general area from which federal APS funds were allegedly diverted through Robotics. Prosecutors have alleged she used her legislative and APS positions to benefit herself financially.

The scandal also renewed scrutiny over APS itself.

Years before the federal indictment, KRQE investigative reporting found Williams Stapleton had been paid more than $100,000 by APS for work she allegedly did not perform while serving in the Legislature. Instead of being punished, APS leadership changed the rules to allow legislators employed by the district to continue being paid while serving in Santa Fe.

Now, years later, the criminal case is finally nearing trial.

For New Mexicans, the allegations are staggering: federal education money meant for students, a longtime Democrat lawmaker, a politically connected out-of-state company, alleged kickbacks, alleged money laundering, and more than $1.1 million prosecutors say was diverted for personal benefit.

Williams Stapleton and Johnson are presumed innocent unless proven guilty. But the case has already become a symbol of how political power, weak oversight, and public money can create a corruption nightmare.

The trial set for August could finally begin to answer the question New Mexicans have been asking since 2021:

How did this alleged scheme go on for so long — and who else knew?