Larry Barker
KRQE News 13
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Past articles by Larry:
New Mexico’s mystery project: A case study in wasted tax dollars
BERNALILLO COUNTY, N.M. (KRQE) – At the State Capitol, there’s a funding request called Project 463. But if you ask lawmakers what it is, you’ll get blank stares. “I read the description of what this project is and it didn’t make any sense,” said State Senator Mark Moores (R-ABQ). In fact, the only thing anyone really […] → Read More
Stealing the show: How online ticket scalpers target New Mexicans
It's the hottest ticket in town. However, some unscrupulous characters are out there to spoil the fun, making Popejoy Hall ground zero for an organized pack of out-of-state hustlers. → Read More
Turf wars: A tale of deception and misused tax dollars
NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – It is a half-million-dollar scheme arranged by high-ranking public officials. “In my opinion, there’s a lot of people to blame,” said Senate Finance Committee Chair, State Senator George Muñoz. The focus of our investigation is on the Duke City Gladiators, an indoor football team based in Rio Rancho. Indoor football is a […] → Read More
New Mexico treasure hunt: Box of relics buried 155 years ago
SANTA FE, N.M. (KRQE) – “I don’t know if we’ll find it. Someone may have found it many years ago. It might be sitting in someone’s garage somewhere, and they don’t even know what they have. Quien Sabe?,” said State Historian Rob Martinez. He’s talking about a lost treasure trove buried in the Territory of New […] → Read More
APD overtime scandal: Lt. accused of bilking taxpayers reinstated
It began in 2020 after Lt. Edison was tapped to lead APD’s COVID-19 response. → Read More
The big oops: Tiny government mistake costing New Mexicans $1 million
NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – New Mexico’s annual budget is more than $7,000,000,000. So when a little-known state agency made a tiny mistake of just $1.74, nobody noticed. Ground zero for this blunder is Northeast New Mexico’s Colfax County where Raton is the county seat. It was a slip-up that affected every residential property owner in the county. […] → Read More
‘Worst I’ve seen’: APD overtime scandal uncovered
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – It’s an issue that’s plagued the Albuquerque Police Department for years. Since 2014, there have been a half dozen audits and investigations into APD abuse of overtime. Last year, following the 7th investigation in eight years, State Auditor Brian Colon blasted the police department for failure to take corrective action relating to […] → Read More
Are New Mexico bridges safe?
NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – If you live in Gallup you know County Road 43. It’s an unpaved shortcut locals use to avoid traffic congestion. Each day hundreds of motorists cross the Rio Puerco on a rickety aluminum structure known as bridge # 8085. However, if you knew the history of 8085 you might think twice about […] → Read More
Middle of Nowhere: New Mexico’s Multi-Million Dollar Blunder
SOCORRO COUNTY (KRQE) – Established 400 years ago by Spanish Conquistador Juan de Oñate, the Royal Road of the Interior extended 1600 miles from Mexico City to Santa Fe. For three centuries, the El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro played a critical role in the history of the southwest. Today, remnants of the historic trail […] | Local News from KRQE News 13 in Albuquerque, New Mexico → Read More
Who will cash in on recreational marijuana in New Mexico?
Under the new recreational cannabis law, you could be head of a cartel, arrested and convicted of trafficking truckloads of marijuana, and still be licensed by New Mexico to sell recreational cannabis. → Read More
Medical bills sticker shock
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Anyone who has ever tried to decipher a medical bill knows the frustration first hand. Whether an invoice came from your doctor, the hospital, or an insurance company, you have entered the incomprehensible world of health care billing. KRQE Investigates Behind the story: COVID test leads to $4K bill New Mexico AMBER […] → Read More
Robotics Management Learning Systems: a look into the ghost company funded by APS
As Director of career and technical education at the Albuquerque Public Schools, Williams Stapleton is accused of orchestrating lucrative contracts for Robotics to provide educational software to APS students. → Read More
State rep violates APS policy by collecting pay while working legislative role (republished)
This story originally aired on KRQE News at 10 pm on October 27, 2011. NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – In 2011, KRQE Investigative Reporter Larry Barker looked into allegations that Sheryl Williams Stapleton was receiving a salary for her day job with Albuquerque Public Schools while also serving as a state representative in the New Mexico […] → Read More
The Lost 24: New Mexico’s Forgotten Heroes
Bullhead Park is named for a U.S. submarine sunk in the final days of World War II. The park is dedicated to the memory of the 84 sailors who perished aboard that vessel. → Read More
The Tale of the Nightmare Neighbor: Final Chapter of a 15 year Larry Barker Investigation
For more than two decades, an Albuquerque man has been known to his neighbors as the city’s worst hoarder. The city will now be demolishing the property. → Read More
Inside a multimillion-dollar, counterfeit Native American art syndicate
'Operation Al-Zuni' spanned nine years. Federal agents seized 350,000 pieces of counterfeit Native American jewelry valued at more than $35,000,000. → Read More
A high-ranking Albuquerque Police Officer’s misconduct covered-up
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – It was an act of dishonesty orchestrated by high-level police officers at the Albuquerque Police Department. And, nobody seemed to notice. Not Commanders, Deputy Chiefs, the Chief of Police, and no one in the Mayor’s Office. “I think it’s a real shame; I think that the people involved have caused embarrassment […] → Read More
Can you be charged 175% interest on a loan in New Mexico? Yes, and it’s legal
NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – It’s the kind of transaction you would expect to make in a back alley late at night. Yet in New Mexico, there’s a thriving industry that’s legally cashing in on hundreds of millions of dollars. We’re talking about the storefront installment loan business. Every year, more than 200,000 New Mexicans take out […] | Local News from KRQE News 13 in Albuquerque, New Mexico → Read More
Lawmakers seal Roundhouse, violate fire code
SANTA FE, N.M. (KRQE) – Uh Oh. Something’s amiss at the State Capitol, and it’s got a bunch of government officials scrambling. Lawmakers are supposed to make laws, not break them. A KRQE News 13 investigation uncovered evidence of wrongdoing at the Roundhouse, where legislators are conducting business amid COVID-19 and threats of violence. In […] → Read More
Anatomy of a Prison Riot
HOBBS, N.M. (KRQE) – “This is a highly unusual and extremely dangerous situation,” says Santa Fe Attorney Mark Donatelli. “My primary concern here is that there’s there was clearly a breakdown on this day,” Secretary of Corrections Alisha Tafoya Lucero says. They are referring to a ‘major force incident’ last November at the privately run […] → Read More