For Immediate Release:
April 1, 2020
Contact: Matt Baca — (505) 270-7148
ALBUQUERQUE, NM—Today, Attorney General Balderas announced that Valencia
County Magistrate Court Judge John R. Chavez found probable cause that Leo Martinez
and Robbie Proffitt committed the felony crimes of embezzlement, fraud, and forgery.
Proffitt and Martinez, two commercial truck drivers, allegedly stole approximately
$500,000 worth of bulk hay that they were supposed to have delivered to Pareo Farm, a
family dairy farm in Valencia County. Instead, the pair sold that stolen hay to another
Valencia County rancher, and fraudulently billed Pareo Farm for delivery of the hay that
was stolen from them.
“Family farmers and ranchers work tirelessly to provide the backbone of New Mexico’s
economy, and we must do everything we can to protect them,” said Attorney General
Balderas. “The alleged actions of Proffitt and Martinez caused a significant economic
harm to the victims and we will hold them accountable.”
These cases will be bound over to the Thirteenth Judicial District Court where both Proffitt
and Martinez will stand trial. These cases were investigated and prosecuted by the Office
of the Attorney General.
