Former New Mexico Democratic Leader Manny Aragon Released From Federal Prison

Manny Aragon is a reminder of very dark times in New Mexico history. The former New Mexico Democrat was released from a federal prison yesterday. When I moved to New Mexico in 1995 all I heard from my friends was how corrupt New Mexico state government was.  It was strange for me when I moved here, with people openly discussing the corruption of their state government and naming names, it was out in the open, it was sadly, like a bad joke, of how corrupt New Mexico was. Then the shoe finally dropped as Aragon, an Albuquerque Democrat who was once one of the most powerful politicians in New Mexico history, pleaded guilty in October 2008 to one count of conspiracy and two counts of mail fraud in a Metropolitan Courthouse construction scandal that siphoned off more than $4 million. I pray that the time in prison has helped Mr. Aragon in rehabilitating himself. I pray that he has come to know Jesus Christ as his Savior. I pray that the time Mr. Aragon has spent in prison has not been wasted, that he has a new life in Jesus Christ. Let us pray for him and his family that the light of Jesus Christ will shine in him and through him. let us all forgive him for his trespasses,as the Lord has forgiven us, In Jesus name, Amen!

I pray all of New Mexico has learned a lesson from this dark time in the states history.

According to the Albuquerque Journal it could not be confirmed as to if Mr. Aragon was headed to a halfway house. A Spokesman for the Federal Bureau of Prisons could not disclose Aragon’s destination.

Here’s how the Seattle Times reported the news of the Corruption case on March 18th, 2009, as it made national news:

Former New Mexico state Senate leader Manny Aragon broke down in tears before being sentenced Tuesday to 5½ years in prison for his role in a corruption case that stained his long career of public service.

Aragon, an Albuquerque Democrat who served in the Senate for 29 years and was once one of New Mexico’s most powerful politicians, also was fined $750,000 — the bulk of which he already has forfeited to the government — and ordered to pay at least $649,000 in restitution.

Aragon last year pleaded guilty to three federal felony counts of conspiracy and mail fraud in a scheme to defraud the state of nearly $4.4 million in the construction of the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Courthouse in Albuquerque.

Aragon faced U.S. District Judge William P. Johnson and gave a rambling 20-minute speech about his early years and his life in politics. The speech ended when he broke down from emotion while talking about the “punishment” of losing his jobs as Senate president and as president of New Mexico Highlands University.

Aragon expressed sorrow for two of his co-defendants, engineer Raul Parra and architect Marc Schiff, who had to be “put through such ridicule,” and for the people of New Mexico.

“I apologized to you and to them (New Mexicans) in my letter, and I do this again,” he told Johnson, referring to a letter of apology he sent the court.

Neither Aragon nor his attorneys commented to reporters after the hearing.

U.S. Attorney Greg Fouratt declared after Tuesday’s hearing that “the era of picking the taxpayers’ pockets is over.

Let us pray that it is over, in Jesus name, Amen!