Man Accused of Unfair Bidding Practices with Dora School District Sentenced to 3 Years in Prison

PORTALES, NM (KVII) — The man accused of using his position as maintenance manager for the Dora school system to obtain favorable deals for his company to provide cleaning products and services has been sentenced to three years in prison.

Ninth Judicial District Attorney Quentin Ray said Steven Butler, 56, of Dora, was convicted June 26 on six counts of unfair bidding practices with Dora schools.

The New Mexico State Auditor’s Office conducted an audit of the Dora school system. The irregularities found were reported to investigators from the Ninth Judicial District Attorney’s Office, who contacted the New Mexico Attorney General’s Office (now the New Mexico Department of Justice) for assistance.

Special Agent Christopher Kohler was called in and discovered the illegal practices going on.

Butler worked as a maintenance manager for Dora Schools and used the position to secure favorable deals for his own company to provide cleaning supplies and services to the school.

These practices allowed him to obtain multiple contracts and advantages at taxpayers’ expense.

Butler was sentenced to three years in the Department of Corrections, followed by five years of supervised probation.