Doa Ana County settles with jail administrator

A day after Doa Ana County settled with its jail administrator, Chris Barela had pointed words for the sheriff and district attorney.

Barela sued the county after his arrest on several charges, including fraud and embezzlement, which District Attorney Mark D’Antonio ultimately dropped.

Barela filed a tort claim and threatened to sue the county. This week Doa Ana County settled with Barela and agreed to pay him $201,000.

During an interview with the ABC-7 New Mexico Mobile Newsroom, Barela said Sheriff Kiki Vigil wronged him and D’Antonio was wrong to pursue charges. To watch the interview, click here.

“It’s not a county issue. It wasn’t the county’s fault. It was an elected official who created this problem. Don’t blame the county. Place the blame and responsibility on where it really belongs and that is on the sheriff.”

Barela was arrested Dec. 8 on one count of fraud over $20,000 or, in the alternative, one count of embezzlement over $20,000, one count of bringing contraband (a rifle) into the jail and willful neglect of duty. The charges followed a six-month investigation took more than 1,000 man hours, including more than 90 witness interviews. According to investigators with the Dona Ana County Sheriff’s Office, at least 18 meetings were held with the district attorney.

However, in a statement released to ABC-7 at the time of the dismissal, District Attorney Mark D’Antonio said there wasn’t enough evidence to go to trial.

Barela said Vigil went after him because Vigil had a hidden agenda.

“I truly believe he did not go after me because he felt I was guilty. He didn’t go after me because I perpetrated some crime,” Barela said. “And his agenda is to take over this jail and privatize this jail. And I happened to be in the way. He probably had nothing against me. He has something personal against this position. I happen to be sitting in the position and his goal is to privatize this jail.”

ABC-7 reached out to Vigil for comment but has not heard back. Doa Ana County Manager Julia Brown declined to comment.

The settlement, which was obtained by the New Mexico Mobile Newsroom says, “this agreement is not, and shall not be construed as, an admission of fault, or wrongdoing on the part of Doa Ana County or any of its elected officials, officers, or employees.”

Barela also talked about the amount of the settlement, saying he wasn’t in it for the money.

“I was in it for my integrity, for my pride, and to put an exclamation point at the end that,” Barela said. “Listen, I am innocent and there is some level of restitution that must be paid for somebody that’s been wronged. This sheriff wronged me. The district attorney made a poor decision and helped him wrong me.”

In a statement, D’Antonio’s office said, “because the district attorney’s office was not part of the tort notice, it would not be appropriate for us to comment on the settlement between county officials and Chris Barela.

“In April, prosecutors dismissed the most serious charges against Mr. Barela due to a lack of evidence and we stand by that decision,” the statement from the D’Antonio’s office read. “We also respect the grand jury’s decision not to indict him on the remaining charge.”