INDICTED DETECTIVE ADMITS TO DRUG USE, RETIRES

Santa Fe Police Department: Danny Ramirez, a 19-Year Veteran of the
Force, Tests Positive for Cocaine

A former Santa Fe narcotics detective under federal indictment for
money laundering and other charges is addicted to cocaine and in need
of drug treatment, according to court documents.

Danny Ramirez, 47, tested positive for cocaine May 16 during a drug
screening by the U.S. District Court's Pre-Trial Services Division,
according to a motion filed Tuesday by prosecutor Reeve Swainston.
Ramirez, who was arrested on the federal charges while at work at the
police department May 10, admitted to using cocaine and said he
needed help dealing with his drug problem, the motion states.

"Defendant's addiction is especially evident by virtue of the fact
that he tested positive for cocaine use, knowing that he was subject
to random drug testing," Swainston wrote in the motion. Ramirez also
might have an alcohol-abuse problem, the motion states.

Meanwhile, Police Chief Eric Johnson said Wednesday that Ramirez, a
19-year veteran of the police department, retired May 18.

Johnson said the department conducts random drug tests of its
officers. However, he said federal laws prohibited him from saying
whether Ramirez ever failed a drug test.

"(The cocaine allegations) came as a total shock to me," said
Johnson, who worked with Ramirez for nearly 20 years. "It's something
that was totally unexpected."

The motion was filed in response to another motion written by
Ramirez's lawyer asking that Ramirez be taken off electronic
monitoring and home confinement. The reasons to release him from
house arrest included his being a model employee of the police
department; living in Santa Fe his entire life; having no criminal
history and no history of drug or alcohol abuse; and not being a
danger to the community, the motion says.

In a search of Ramirez's home after he was arrested, FBI agents found
6 ounces of marijuana with a Department of Public Safety Crime Lab
evidence tag on it plus a smaller amount of marijuana and several
marijuana smoking pipes. According to the motion filed by Ramirez's
lawyer, Jason Bowles, Ramirez was convicted of DWI in 1992.

Bowles did not return a phone call seeking comment Wednesday.

In response to the motion, Swainston said: "Notwithstanding the
defendant's position, the conditions now in place are perhaps
insufficient to protect the community or any other person from the
defendant, because ... this defendant suffers from an addiction to
cocaine and is in immediate need of substance abuse treatment."

Both the pretrial services officer and Swainston opposed Ramirez
being taken off electronic monitoring and house arrest, according to
the prosecutor's motion. The pretrial services officer said the usual
course is to recommend Ramirez enter inpatient or an intensive
outpatient drug treatment program, the motion states.

Ramirez and Sgt. Steve Altonji, 48, were indicted May 8 on 24 counts
of money laundering, deprivation of civil rights, theft of federal
program funds and structuring financial transactions to avoid
reporting requirements. They have pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Altonji had been on administrative leave with pay since November
after he was notified he was a target of the federal grand jury.
Chief Johnson placed both men on leave without pay after the
indictments came to light.

Altonji's lawyer also asked last week that his client be removed from
electronic monitoring and home confinement, according to court
documents. Altonji's wife has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer,
and he must run the household and provide care and transportation for
his wife, the motion states. Also, the pretrial services officer who
has supervised Altonji for the last two weeks had no objections to
removing the two conditions, the motion says.

U.S. Magistrate Lorenzo Garcia approved dropping Altonji's
requirements Tuesday, according to his order. No decision had been
made on Ramirez as of Wednesday, according to online court records.