ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – A brazen daylight heist has left a business reeling after a married couple swiped over $10,000 in cash and checks from a local business on the Isleta Pueblo.
A federal indictment alleges that Frank Joe Hernandez, 43, and his wife, Eva Ann Hernandez, 45, both of Los Lunas, teamed up to steal the cash and checks from Chical Haystack on February 4, 2023. The couple’s scheme went down like this: Eva acted as a lookout at the cash register, while Frank slipped into the business office and cracked the safe, making off with $10,410.30 in currency and checks.
The Isleta Police Department and the Belen Police Department worked together to crack the case, with the U.S. Attorney’s Office announcing the charges today. Frank Hernandez is being held without bail until trial, while his wife, Eva, was released with conditions, including a ban from entering the Isleta Pueblo.
U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez made the announcement, saying that the couple’s alleged crime won’t be tolerated. “We will continue to work tirelessly to hold accountable those who commit crimes on our tribal lands,” Uballez said.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary Jones is prosecuting the case, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each charge. The indictment alleges that the couple conspired to commit larceny over $1,000 and committed the crime itself.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and both defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case serves as a reminder that crime doesn’t pay, and those who think they can get away with it will face the full force of the law. In this case, the full force of the law includes charges of conspiracy to commit larceny over $1,000 and larceny over $1,000.
Stay tuned to Grimy Times for updates on this developing case and other stories from the world of crime and justice.
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Key Facts
- State: New Mexico
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes|White Collar Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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