Former University of New Mexico athletic director Paul Krebs’ 2015 golf trip to Scotland may have been a criminal act.
The Albuquerque Journal reports that a grand jury has indicted Krebs on seven felony counts in connection to the trip, which was paid for in part by university funds. The state attorney general said in court documents that Krebs circumvented university oversight protocols and attempted to cover up his misuse of funds by deleting records and paying back some of the money he used for the trip.
KRQE reports that one of the tactics Krebs used to hide his activity was listing the trip as an out-of-state expense as opposed to an international one, dropping it below the level of needing approval from the university president. Krebs also donated $25,000 to the UNM Foundation in May 2017, and provided instructions to his wife to hide the source of the donation.
The indictment charges Krebs with embezzling $24,500 of university money to pay for three individuals — none of whom are affiliated with the university or University of New Mexico Association — to go golfing. Other embezzlement counts include one for using $13,625 of university money as a downpayment for the trip, and $9,379 to fund his own travel.
In addition, Krebs was charged with unlawful interest in a public contract, evidence tampering, criminal solicitation and tax fraud.
Krebs retired from his position with the university in 2017. If convicted, Krebs could face up to 16 and a half years in prison.
