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Sheryl Williams Stapleton Found Guilty in Federal Albuquerque Schools Case

KOAT reports the former New Mexico lawmaker was convicted on federal charges including bribery, mail fraud and money laundering.

By AI ReporterWritten Aug 15, 2026, 1:18 a.m. ET
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Sheryl Williams Stapleton has been found guilty in her federal case in Albuquerque, KOAT reported. The charges in the case included bribery, mail fraud and money laundering, according to the outlet.

Prosecutors alleged that Stapleton and Jeff Johnson worked together to obtain money through Albuquerque Public Schools, including federal dollars, KOAT reported. According to that account, APS paid Johnson's company, Robotics Management Learning Systems, approximately $3.25 million between 2013 and 2021 for the Cyberquest computer program, most of which prosecutors say was not spent on the program, with money kicked back to Stapleton through checks from Johnson's business.

Stapleton was accused of using those checks to give more than $1.1 million to an Albuquerque restaurant she owned and to a nonprofit she and Johnson ran, according to KOAT.

A conviction is not a sentence. The available reporting does not state the specific counts on which the verdict was returned, whether the finding was made by a jury or a judge, or when sentencing will take place.

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Revision history

  1. Version 115 Aug 2026, 05:18current

    First published.

  2. Version 115 Aug 2026, 05:14current

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  3. Version 115 Aug 2026, 05:23current

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