Recent motions in the federal court case against the two men who used to run the Santa Fe Police Department's narcotics investigations indicate dissension in the ranks.

Lawyers for former Detective Danny Ramirez are asking the federal judge overseeing the case to sever Ramirez's charges from Sgt. Steve Altonji's for two main reasons, according to the motion filed Nov. 9.

The first is because federal prosecutors will most likely introduce two pieces of evidence in the case: a statement attributed to Altonji that he "got Danny dirty" and an e-mail seized from Altonji's computer "purporting to discuss Mr. Ramirez'(s) actions with relation" to a Santa Fe man busted by the two detectives for marijuana trafficking.

The man's arrest provides some of the basis for the charges against the two men.

"The introduction of this evidence will violate Mr. Ramirez'(s) Fifth and Sixth Amendment rights under the United States Constitution," the motion says.

The Fifth Amendment guarantees the right against self-incrimination and the Sixth Amendment guarantees a speedy trial.

The second reason is that evidence introduced in the case against Altonji would not have any relevance to Ramirez and is "prejudicial" to him, according to the motion written by attorney Jason Bowles.

FBI agents arrested Ramirez — a 20-year-veteran of the force — May 10 while he was on duty. Ramirez pleaded not guilty to 16 counts of money laundering and one count each of deprivation of civil rights, theft of federal program funds and structuring a financial transaction to avoid reporting requirements.

Altonji, an 11-year-veteran, was arrested the same day. He pleaded not guilty to three counts of deprivation of civil rights, one count of money laundering and one count of theft of federal program funds.

Altonji remains on administrative leave while Ramirez retired from the department not long after he was arrested. The two men are currently scheduled to go on trial Feb. 7 in Albuquerque.

Numerous members of both the city police department and the city administration have been under the assumption for months that the FBI is continuing to investigate unspecified Santa Fe police officers. However, FBI spokesman Bill Elwell said recently that, to the best of his knowledge, agents only investigated Altonji and Ramirez.

"That is a strange statement," Chief Eric Johnson said. "But they don't share a lot of information."

Johnson said the federal grand jury that was investigating Altonji and Ramirez called witnesses throughout the summer. Also, FBI agents have subpoenaed police department records in recent months, he said.

Johnson said he thinks people keep giving the agents false information, which they must check out. "Rumors have fueled this whole thing," he said. "I'm just guessing, but if people are continuously giving the feds wrong information, it prolongs things."