Ex-official in transition from prison

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - Former State Treasurer Robert Vigil is back in Albuquerque and in between prison and freedom after his conviction in a public corruption scandal.

The convicted felon is not a free man but could be considered half-free. KRQE News13 has learned that Vigil has been living at an undisclosed halfway house in Albuquerque since the middle of last month.

Vigil can now go to family functions, church and to work since he apparently has a job. It is not known what his current job is, but his last one didn't end so well.

In September of 2006 a federal jury convicted the former State Treasurer on one count of attempted extortion. Despite what prosecutors felt was compelling evidence, jurors found him not guilty of 23 other counts including demanding and accepting kickbacks while serving as the elected State Treasurer.

The evidence included undercover video of Vigil accepting thousands of dollars in cash from a man doing business with the state. Part of Vigil's defense included the claim that the money he received was legitimate campaign contributions.

Among those testifying against Vigil was his predecessor in office, Michael Montoya, who was treasurer from 1995 through 2002. He testified he had established a system of trading state contracts for kickbacks and that Vigil, who had been his deputy, continued the practice after taking over the office in 2003.

Late in 2007 Montoya was sentenced to 40 months in prison under an agreement in which he pleaded guilty to one count of extortion.

In January 2007 a judge sentenced Vigil to 37 months in prison, and he began serving that time three months later. Since then he's been at federal minimum-security facilities near Austin, Texas, and then in Florence, Colo.

Vigil will complete his sentence in December four to five months shy of the 37 months. The difference appears to be the result of "good time."

Under the federal system there is no parole, but prisoners can get up to 54 days of good time reduced from their sentence per year served.