SOCORRO – The former Chief of Midway Fire Department has been charged with embezzling over $7,000 from Socorro County, after an investigation conducted by New Mexico State Police.
Orlando Pino, 24, resigned as Chief in the wake of the charges.
According to the criminal complaint, Pino used the county’s credit card to make personal gasoline purchases in the amount of $7,000.36. He has been charged 113 felonies: 112 counts of embezzlement, and one count of fraudulent credit card use.
The complaint said that County Manager Delilah Walsh advised State Police in January that since Pino was appointed Chief of Midway Fire Department in December 2007, “there has been an unusually high volume of transactions” on his county-issued credit card.
A printout of the card purchases between May 1 and December 31, 2008 showed charges for unleaded gas were from gas stations in Socorro, Lemitar, Belen, Albuquerque, Rio Rancho, Bernalillo and Santa Fe.
Walsh confirmed to police that Midway has only one vehicle that operates on unleaded fuel and “that is a 2,000-gallon fire truck,” and that Midway was one of the smallest fire departments in the county but spends more in fuel than any other fire department.
The complaint states that Socorro County Fire Marshal Fred Hollis and public information officer Jerry Wheeler made several unsuccessful attempts to talk to Pino about the purchases.
In a Feb. 18 interview with State Police, Pino said he had been told by Socorro County Finance Manager Michael Steinenger to use the card “as always” for County business.
The complaint states that Pino said he was not the only one to use the card, and that he would give the card – and its code – to other volunteer firefighters when they would clean the hose. He said he had receipts to prove he was using the card for county-related business at the fire house in Lemitar, but that “someone cleaned out his office."
Walsh told the Mountain Mail she had requested at the last Commission meeting that Pino be removed from his position.
“The Commission dropped the item from the agenda because Mr. Pino had turned in his resignation before the meeting,” Walsh said. “As far as were concerned, he’s resigned as Chief and we don’t have any comment at this time.”
Wheeler said Midway’s Assistant Chief Trini Padilla has been appointed Acting Chief.
Fire department members will elect a new chief in September, Wheeler said.
Pino was arraigned in Magistrate Court on July 18. A preliminary hearing has not yet been scheduled.
He is being represented by attorney Robert Perry.
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