Ex-Clovis cop charged with drug trafficking

A former Clovis police officer has been charged with drug trafficking and accessory to residential burglary.

A warrant was issued Friday for the arrest of Frank Careri.

“He is in Hawaii now,” said Andrea Reeb, a special prosecutor appointed to the case. He has been given “two weeks to turn himself in or we will extradite him” to New Mexico, Reeb said.

According to a news release from the Clovis Police Department:

Officers were investigating a burglary in February 2023 when a female “believed to have been involved with the incident” told police Careri “was providing her with information and drugs in exchange for provocative and nude pictures.”

An investigation into those allegations began and Careri soon resigned from the police department, the release stated. Clovis Police Chief Roy Rice said Friday he did not know how long Careri had worked at Clovis PD, but he was there when Rice went to work for the department in 2019.

The investigation was stalled when “the female was unavailable for further interviews,” the release stated.

Clovis-area District Attorney Quentin Ray said the case was “conflicted out” of his office and assigned to the 10th Judicial District, which includes De Baca and Quay counties.

The 10th District assigned a special prosecutor – former Clovis-area DA Reeb – to determine “if charges were to be filed,” according to the news release.

“The female involved in this matter was finally interviewed by an investigator with the 10th Judicial District Attorney’s Office, and together with the Clovis Police Department, a decision was made to move forward” with charges.

Charges against Careri also include harboring or aiding a felon, conspiracy to residential burglary and violation of confidential information requirements by public officers, the release stated.