Federal prosecutors say they plan to return money collected under a program that a since convicted New Mexico ex-sheriff set up to allow traffic violators to avoid penalties.
U.S. Attorney's Office spokeswoman Elizabeth Martinez says donors will be able to apply for a return.
The FBI seized the $3,275 in donations as a result of a search warrant that said the funds were evidence in an extortion investigation.
Former Rio Arriba County Sheriff Thomas Rodella was sentenced last month to 10 years in prison and fined $200,000 for abusing a driver in an off-duty traffic stop.
According to investigators, Rodella was letting some deputies give traffic violators the opportunity to elude charges in exchange for donations.
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Information from: The Santa Fe New Mexican, http://www.sfnewmexican.com
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