ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – A former state lawmaker accused of swindling millions out of Albuquerque Public Schools had her trial delayed again. Sheryl Williams Stapleton pled not guilty to 35 charges including conspiracy to defraud the United States and multiple counts of bribery and money laundering.
Prosecutors claimed she allocated federal funds intended for APS programs to Robotics Management Learning Systems which was owned and operated by a friend of Stapleton, Joseph Johnson. He is accused of giving Stapleton blank checks from the company. Williams Stapleton is accused of missing $2.5 million in federal funds.
Williams Stapleton’s lawyers filed a motion to have her trial delayed a second time. The motion went unopposed. The trial, originally scheduled for September 9, was moved to March 2025.