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Former Laguna Pueblo Police Chief Rudy Mora
Diego Lopez, Reporter
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Former Laguna Pueblo Police Chief Rudy Mora and former Bernalillo County Sheriff Manny Gonzales have been implicated in a federal indictment involving allegations of conspiracy to traffic hundreds of fullyautomatic firearms. The indictment alleges their involvement in an illegal scheme to purchase and sell over 1,000 guns classified as machine guns by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
While Gonzales and Mora are not currently facing charges, six other individuals, including licensed gun dealers, are now under federal prosecution, shedding light on a complex case that spans across at least four states.
According to federal prosecutors, the heart of the alleged conspiracy involved Gonzales and Mora misusing their positions to acquire firearms by submitting requests under the guise of needing them for law enforcement demonstrations. The indictment alleges that their true intent was to facilitate the illegal sale of these firearms.
Gonzales, who served as the Bernalillo County Sheriff until his unsuccessful bid for Albuquerque mayor, is said to have requested a staggering 598 guns between 2015 and 2020. Meanwhile, Mora, who held the position of Gonzales' undersheriff, allegedly submitted requests for 414 guns from 2020 to 2021.
The Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office responded to the allegations, stating that Sheriff John Allen takes them seriously and the department is actively cooperating with investigators in the case.
Albuquerque gun dealer James Tafoya, implicated in the indictment, is accused of collaborating with Gonzales and Mora in acquiring the firearms. Tafoya faces charges related to illegally importing guns and making false statements, which could result in a maximum of 30 years in prison.
Notably, the indictment does not provide evidence that any of the fully-automatic guns involved in the scheme made their way to New Mexico.
Multiple law enforcement agencies have been involved in the investigation, including the Maryland U.S. Attorney's Office, New Mexico U.S. Attorney's Office, New Mexico Attorney General's Office, ATF, FBI, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations Division, and the Office of the Inspector General at the Department of Homeland Security.
This is a developing story, and further updates will be provided as information becomes available