Jerome Block Jr. released from jail

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - After an eight day stint Jerome Block Jr. is out of jail.

News 13 caught up with him right after he was released after violating the rules of the drug court program.

“It’s a tough situation, it takes a lot of getting used to,” Block said.

So far Block has not quite been able to figure it out.

The former PRC Commissioner, admitted prescription drug addict and crook was supposed to avoid jail time if he completed the drug court program.

However a little more than a month in and he has already had two slip-ups.

In October he spent 24 hours behind bars for failing a drug test.

Then last Monday he was sent back to the Santa Fe County Jail for another violation, this time he spent eight days there.

Block said this jail say was not a result of a failed drug test.

“I’m here for reasons that the judge and I know and ya know, I’ve been clean, I feel well,” said Block.

According to the drug court program website Block could have been locked up for a number of things besides a failed test including, not showing up for weekly drug court meetings, but because drug court is confidential we may never know what he did.

Block’s troubles started in 2009 after he was charged with pocketing thousands of dollars in campaign cash.

Then this summer allegations surfaced that Block misused his state issued gas card and used his former PRC co-worker’s social security number to add charges to another card.

At the end of September he struck a deal with the attorney general's office, owning up to all of it.

As part of the deal he agreed to resign from his $90,000 a year commission seat and never run for public office again.

Block said that part of the deal should grant him some privacy.

“I just wish that you all would let up on me and my family because I’m not a public official no more I’m a normal person,” he said.

Block told News 13 he is clean now and working toward his recovery.

Attorney General Gary King’s spokesperson said that King stands by the plea agreement, adding that unless Block gets kicked out of the drug court program they have no reason to get involved.

If Block does not complete the program he could spend four and a half years in prison.