With handcuffs on his wrists and a state police officer by his side, former sheriff Greg Solano was arrested Wednesday and taken from his attorney's office to the county jail he once oversaw.

Less than one hour later and less than one mile away, standing in front of a podium at the front steps of the First Judicial District Courthouse, 9th Judicial District Attorney Matt Chandler told reporters Solano had been living a life of "undercover crime" since January 2007 — and that it was now over.

Chandler's office slapped Solano with 252 criminal charges — 105 felony embezzlement charges and one felony fraud charge — for allegedly stealing county property and selling it for personal gain on eBay between 2007 and late 2010. The rest of the charges were misdemeanors or petty misdemeanors.

The fraud charge, a second-degree felony, alleges Solano defrauded the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office of around $60,000 in property.

Solano, who posted a $25,000 bond and was released from the Santa Fe County jail at 5:01 p.m., could face a maximum 250 years in prison.

"I'm real sorry for what has happened," Solano said in a telephone interview Wednesday night. "I am sorry to my supporters, to friends and family and hope to atone for what I have done."

Solano also said an allegation made by Chandler at the news conference — that $17,000 the former sheriff allegedly made from eBay sales was spent, in part, on gambling — was "absolutely not true."

No mention of gambling was made anywhere in the 42-page affidavit for an arrest warrant, and Chandler did not return a telephone message seeking clarification on his gambling allegations.

Solano, who earned $68,000 a year as sheriff, has maintained he got caught up in trying to pay a high mortgage at his southwest Santa Fe home. In a resignation letter he sent out Nov. 24, Solano called his selling of department equipment such as bulletproof vests, handcuffs, gun holsters, ink cartridges and other items "wrong, illegal, unethical and dishonest."

The arrest warrant written by state police Agent Jesse Williams indicated that Solano was having trouble covering his mortgage.

Police discovered Solano later began selling new items as well, and more than 100 bulletproof vests were valued at "more than $500 but less than $2,500," according to the affidavit.

Chandler said he will seek full restitution, and Solano has told case agents he wants to reimburse taxpayers, according to the arrest warrant released Wednesday.

Despite Solano's public admission of committing the crimes, police and prosecutors continued to investigate him for nearly two more months before Wednesday's warrant was served.

The investigation began in August when a Texas reserve sheriff's deputy who purchased a bulletproof vest on eBay tried to get it resized and a serial code on that vest was traced to Santa Fe County.

"Who was this guy, anyway? A volunteer there? A deputy?" Baggett asked a reporter in a December telephone interview. When told the eBay seller he had purchased the vest from was actually a two-term elected sheriff, Baggett was shocked.

"Are you kidding me?" Baggett asked. "Wow. I'm glad to hear it looks like it's over now."

Calling it a "dark day" for Santa Feans who had placed trust in Solano during the past eight years he was in office, Chandler said he had no apologies for calling a news conference and issuing an arrest warrant, rather than issuing a summons for him to appear in court, which is often how embezzlement cases are handled with defendants not deemed to be a flight risk.

"A summons was not an option," Chandler said, adding that Solano's case must be handled the same as any other person charged with a felony offense.

But defense attorney Brooke Gamble took issue with the handling of the case.

"He has been cooperative since the start of this investigation, and I can't recall an arrest warrant being used for past embezzlement cases, but that is the decision of prosecutors," Gamble said. "I think New Mexico State Police were courteous and respectful in their handling of this situation, and (Solano) handled it with grace."

Gamble, who added she has "never seen a $25,000" cash-only bond for an embezzlement case, has said in recent weeks that she and Solano had reached out to Chandler — with little response — to arrange a quiet, cooperative and private surrender.

"We do not take enjoyment in today's arrest," Chandler said. "But if law-enforcement officers are not held accountable just as any other citizen in New Mexico, then the laws of our state mean nothing."

Santa Fe County Sheriff Robert Garcia, who was sworn in Nov. 24 to succeed Solano after eight years as his undersheriff, said Wednesday was painful.

"It was depressing to see my friend like that," Garcia said. "It was very depressing. But he'll stand up for what he did. It's hard to see him like that."

Garcia said he feels bad for "Solano the friend" but is still very angry about what "Solano the sheriff" did to tarnish the badge of the department Garcia is now running.

"It was unacceptable, what he did, and he needs to pay a price for that," Garcia said.

No one else has been named as a suspect in the case, and Garcia said state police have not interviewed anyone else at the sheriff's office about the case.

"Mr. Solano emphasized that no one else at the sheriff's office knew what was happening and that he acted alone," according to the arrest warrant.

A forensic audit conducted by an outside firm hired by Santa Fe County is under way.

Gamble has said there is no intention of dragging this case through the courts, and she and Solano are willing to talk immediately about a plea deal.

An initial search warrant affidavit of Solano's eBay records for his "sfbnews" user ID only asked for sales records dating back to the beginning of 2009. But The New Mexican found sales records of county items dating back to 2007. EBay officials told police they do not keep records beyond four years.

State police "decided to apply for another search warrant for the eBay records" before 2009 after an agent there says he, too, found records himself of prior sales, according to the arrest warrant. That second search warrant of eBay records led police to the discovery of alleged illegal sales dating back to January 2007.

Solano's arraignment had not yet been scheduled Wednesday evening.

Contact Geoff Grammer at 986-3076 or ggrammer@sfnewmexican.com. Read his blog at SantaFeCrime.com.