New Mexico Highlands University is now under criminal investigation by the state district attorney for allegations described as fraud and forgery, the Fourth Judicial District Attorney announced. The probe is being coordinated with the state Department of Justice and attorney general, while also running concurrently with a state auditor’s special audit. The district attorney’s release cited two specific allegations: fraudulent creation and forgery connected to the men’s head basketball coach employment contract and falsified federal immigration documentation via an I-20 form. The attorney general’s office reportedly did not respond to requests for confirmation of involvement. The criminal probe follows heightened controversy at the university, including the Board of Regents placing then-president Neil Woolf on leave without explanation earlier this year. Woolf subsequently sued the university, and the institution terminated him in early June. The investigation’s scope and timeline will likely shape how the board addresses oversight and compliance at Highlands, while influencing broader higher-ed risk management for contract processes, document control, and immigration-related forms.