Former veterinarian arrested, accused of operating Alamogordo practice illegally
Edmond Christopher Staley, 69 of Bryan, Texas, was arrested on March 10 after having a bench warrant out for his arrest since August on charges stemming from accusations Staley operated his practice illegally.
Staley was a veterinarian in Alamogordo until he was charged with distribution of a controlled substance, forgery and practicing veterinary medicine without a license.
He was indicted by a grand jury in November 2020 and failed to appear at a hearing in August 2021.
A bench warrant was issued for his arrest.
On March 17, Staley's attorney Joel Lobo filed a motion for amended conditions of release citing Staley's health including his blood pressure have suffered since his March 10 arrest.
Staley is being treated for his blood pressure issues that have led to his feet swelling, the motion states.
The 12th Judicial Chief Deputy District Attorney RoxeAnne Esquibel requested the motion for conditions of release to be denied.
"The defendant has no regard for authority, including the licensing authority for his former profession," Esquibel's response states. "The State had to file an injunction to stop him practicing once he failed to satisfy the agreement he had with the New Mexico Board of Veterinary Medicine."
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Staley agreed to pass a national board exam so that he could get his license back.
Staley took the North American Veterinary Licensing Examination (NAVLE) in April 2019 and was granted a temporary license until he could sit for the exam.
His temporary veterinary license would be returned to the state Board of Veterinary Medicine if Staley either failed or did not sit for the exam.
In June 2019, Staley applied for reinstatement and included a copy of a NAVLE performance report Staley claimed were his results at the time.
When the New Mexico Board of Veterinary Medicine attempted to verify Staley's NAVLE assessment, it found that Staley had not passed the exam.
No hearings have been set in the case as of March 21.
Staley is accused of allegedly using controlled substances Ketamine, Euthanasia Solution III and/or Tramadol in his veterinary practice while he and the practice were unlicensed between June and September 2019.
Nicole Maxwell can be contacted by email at nmaxwell@alamogordonews.com, by phone at 575-415-6605 or on Twitter at @nicmaxreporter. If you have questions about your subscription, please contact Customer Service at AlamogordoDailyNews@Gannett.com or call 1-877-301-0013.
This article originally appeared on Alamogordo Daily News: Former Alamogordo veterinarian arrested after missing court hearing
