PORTALES, N.M. — Former Director of the New Mexico Baptist Children’s Home, David Randall Rankin, 71, of Texas, was indicted on 28 counts of fraud, one count of forgery and one count of disposing stolen property, Ninth Judicial District Attorney, Quentin Ray announced on Monday morning.
From 2018 to 2021, the DA’s office said Rankin and a local contractor, Jose Lopez, “fraudulently using the charity’s accounts and large construction projects to pay for personal home renovations.”
Lopez was charged with 30 counts of fraud, three counts of attempted tax evasion and one count of acting as a contractor without a license, according to the DA’s office.
Rankin and Lopez were expected to be arraigned in district court in December. Both, cases are being prosecuted by Special Prosecutor, Andrea Reeb and Assistant District Attorney, Anthony Jaimes.
