Charges against UNM Prof dropped

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - Police allege he was the No. 2 guy behind a nationwide online brothel.

But the charges against the former University of New Mexico president and professor F. Chris Garcia, have been dropped by the Bernalillo County District Attorney's Office.

But that does not mean he is free and clear when it comes to accusations that he pimped out women online, prosecutors said.

The news about Garcia shocked Albuquerque and the UNM community in late June.

"I can't believe things like this are going on, on the campus, and it's really upsetting," one student said after news of the arrest.

Garcia was arrested after police said he was a leader in a coast-to-coast clearing house for online prostitution called Southwest Companions.

Garcia and several other men allegedly looked for, promoted and rated hookers online in the operation.

He also accused of choosing which johns got access to the members-only site.

Computers from his office and home were seized.  And it is the possible information on those computers Bernalillo Country District Attorney Kari Brandenburg is waiting for.

"Primarily the issue is with the computers, and they are analyzing those computers, is that it takes a great deal of time and expertise," she said.

And that is why Brandenburg said she dropped the original charge of promoting prostitution against Garcia in late August.

She said her office needs more time to get the case together, partly waiting for the FBI to go through Garcia's computers.

Brandenburg said the FBI has the best tools for forensic computer investigations.

Her office has 60 days from the day of an arraignment, the official reading of charges, to move forward with an indictment.

By dropping the charges now they have an unlimited amount of time to re-file.

Brandenburg said once they have everything they need, they will re-file the charges in district court.

She will not say exactly what charges they will file against Garcia or if there will be more.

"All cases evolve, and often what a person is initially charged with is not what they are eventually charged with," Brandenburg said.

News 13 contacted Garcia's lawyer for an on-camera interview, but he declined.

He said he is waiting for Brandenburg's office to finish up so he and his client can move on with the case.

Charges against David Flory, the New Jersey professor police say ran Southwest Companions, have also been dropped for now.

Prosecutors plan to re-file those charges as well.