Search warrants served in Dora

DORA — Investigators with the attorney general’s office searched the homes of two former Dora school employees last week.

The searches were related to an investigation into alleged improper janitorial supply purchases, according to court records obtained by The News following an Inspection of Public Records Act request.

While documents and devices were seized during the searches, findings related to the investigation have not been released.

In a search warrant affidavit, investigators allege Steve Butler, former maintenance supervisor at DCS, was solely in control of the district’s maintenance supplies and used this for personal gain through his company Butler Maintenance.

Records also allege former Dora Superintendent Steve Barron was believed to be complicit in Butler’s actions and colluded with Butler in at least one instance.

Neither Butler nor Barron returned telephone messages last week seeking response.

No criminal charges were known to have been filed in connection with the case as of Friday.

According to the court records:

• Butler Maintenance is not registered with the state of New Mexico and officials were told by a school employee that she believes the company was fabricated in order to extract money from the school.

• From July 2013 to July 2016 Butler Maintenance was awarded about 13 contracts totaling around $42,000 from DCS.

• Officials allege Barron colluded with Butler in at least one instance: a hand truck Barron purchased at auction was sold to Butler, who then sold it to the school for more than three times the original purchase price.

• One $7,603 annual janitorial supply contract awarded to Butler Maintenance was approved by the school board and awarded to Butler’s company before an official quote had been submitted; it ultimately covered just 21 of the 45 supplies the district needed.

• Investigators allege Butler took money for another $8,358 annual supply contract, but did not provide the supplies and then used a DCS procurement credit card to purchase them.

• DCS custodians Maria Flores and Beth Ramirez were told by Butler to clean a local church while they were supposed to be working at the school.

• Investigators found a Dora yearbook that lists school staff and in place of Butler’s photo were the words, “Gone to town and can’t be found.”

• Barron and Butler, employed by DCS for 13 and 10 years respectively before being fired in 2017, now both work for the Lovington Municipal School District.

An audit report for the 2016-17 school year was accepted and approved at a board meeting in April. Many of its findings were related to or overlapped with a special audit completed in summer 2017 that identified over $100,000 in potentially mismanaged funds between 2013 and 2016.

Though four Dora school board members resigned following the special audit, none were named in the court records and investigators did not answer a question about whether board members were also being investigated.

“It would be improper to respond beyond the publicly filed pleadings, at this time,” David Carl, press secretary for the attorney general’s office, wrote in an email to The News on Friday.