Feds ask to drop charges against ex-S.F. police officer

U.S. Attorney's Office says case could be reopened if new evidence turns up

Jason Auslander | The New Mexican

3/28/2008 - 3/29/08

Federal prosecutors filed a motion Friday to dismiss all charges against a former Santa Fe police detective-sergeant accused of theft, money laundering and deprivation of civil rights.

"It means I'm innocent," said Steve Altonji, former head of the city Police Department's burglary/narcotics unit. "I've maintained my innocence from the beginning. There was no evidence to charge me."

According to the motion filed Friday, Altonji recently told prosecutors that a cash deposit into his account on May 19, 2006, was not stolen from a drug dealer but rather came from side income. Altonji said Friday that the money came from concrete work he did. Prosecutors believed the money came from a man Altonji and other officers arrested May 17, 2006, with more than $180,000 in cash and about 10 pounds of high-grade marijuana, according to court documents.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Reeve Swainston cited two other reasons for filing the motion to dismiss the indictment. First, an "important prosecution witness, who is believed to be in the Republic of Mexico, cannot be located," the motion says.

Second, a "police officer whom the United States intended to call at trial has requested absolute immunity as a condition to testifying," the motion states.

"The United States does not intend to offer absolute immunity to this witness and, as a result, would not be able to call that witness at trial," Swainston wrote.

Norm Cairns, spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office, declined to comment beyond the indictment except to reiterate that if "more and better evidence" turns up, the case can be reopened. Asked if the federal government's case fell apart, Cairns said, "I wouldn't say that."

Santa Fe Police Chief Eric Johnson said Friday that he still doesn't understand what happened with Altonji. "He maintained his innocence throughout, and the feds never shared any information with me, so I had no reason to doubt him," Johnson said. "I would hope that, at some time, the federal government would sit down with me and explain what really happened. I don't know if that will happen, but ..."

Johnson placed Altonji on administrative leave with pay in November 2006 after the U.S. Attorney's Office notified the police chief it was investigating "serious allegations" against the officer. A federal grand jury in Albuquerque investigated the allegations for months before returning an indictment in May charging him with one count of theft, two counts of deprivation of civil rights and one count of money laundering.

At the same time, longtime narcotics Detective Danny Ramirez was charged under the same indictment with one count of theft, one count of deprivation of civil rights and 17 counts of money laundering. Both men were placed on administrative leave without pay after the indictment. Ramirez resigned not long after and pleaded guilty to one count of felony theft in January. He is scheduled to be sentenced April 17.

Altonji resigned from the Police Department on March 7, citing the heavy impact of the case on his family. The motion filed Friday says the resignation was part of a deal with the U.S. Attorney's Office, and Altonji has agreed to permanently resign his certification as a police officer in New Mexico and never reapply for it.

Altonji said Friday that he has no hard feelings toward the federal government. "The federal government is not my enemy," he said. "They thought they were doing the right thing. I don't think they were doing it to be vindictive."

However, he said he was disappointed and hurt by the lack of support by rank and file police officers he worked with for years. "(To them) from day one, I was guilty," Altonji said.

Altonji's wife, Michelle, died of cancer while he was on administrative leave. He said he had to move to Albuquerque because two drug dealers threatened him while he was with his daughter at a grocery store, and he's going to move to the East Coast with his two daughters in coming weeks.

"I was devastated by my wife's death," he said. "I was devastated by the loss of my career. I've lost everything in my life except my daughters."

Still, the motion — which must be signed by the judge in the case — means the issue is closed, he said.

"I get to go on with my life," Altonji said.

Contact Jason Auslander at 986-3076 or :jauslander@sfnewmexican.com.