Estancia Mayor Pro Tem Amy Lynn May faces two fourth-degree felony counts of unlawfully selling alcoholic beverages, each carrying up to 18 months in prison and a $5,000 fine under New Mexico’s Liquor Control Act.
Undercover buys built the case
The charges trace back to the Blue Ribbon Bar & Grill, also known as the Estancia Heritage Social Club, at 315 S. 5th Street in Estancia. The investigation began after Torrance County Sheriff David Frazee filed a complaint with the state Regulation & Licensing Department in June, relaying a resident’s report that the business was selling alcohol without a license. Two additional anonymous callers reported the same thing, and RLD records confirmed the business held no liquor license, according to a criminal complaint filed in Torrance County Magistrate Court.
New Mexico State Police Agent Jordan Burd was assigned to investigate and went undercover twice, on June 12 and July 16, ordering a beer both times and being told to pay a $5 “donation” instead of a purchase price, the complaint states. Burd also found that entry required no membership: patrons could walk in off the street and be served.
When investigators confronted May on July 17, she did not dispute that the sales had happened, telling them she was “overwhelmed,” the complaint states. May said members of the club could buy their own alcohol, bring it in and drink it, but that the establishment itself could not distribute alcohol on its own, according to court documents. She said she was in the process of buying the Blue Ribbon from its previous owner with plans to eventually operate it as a licensed bar and restaurant, and that in the meantime it was meant to function as a members-only social club.
Investigators seized a membership roster, a receipt binder and a visitor log under a search warrant executed later that day. Torrance County Sheriff’s Lt. K.R. Ballard filed the criminal complaint July 20, with Deputy District Attorney Ellen Santillan signing off on its legal sufficiency.
Court appearance
May appeared before Magistrate Judge Craig M. Davis in Moriarty Magistrate Court on August 17 for a first appearance and did not enter a plea. Judge Davis released her on her own recognizance under standard conditions, including that she not consume alcohol or cannabis unless medically prescribed and not violate any other law. May told the court she could not afford an attorney and was advised of her right to apply for a public defender.