District of New Mexico

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.  – Senior United States District Judge Judith C. Herrera sentenced Tyrone Coriz, 49, of San Felipe Pueblo, New Mexico, in federal court in Albuquerque today to life imprisonment for aggravated sexual abuse of a child in Indian Country.

           On May 22, 2019, a federal jury returned a verdict of guilty against Coriz, following a three-day trial, on two counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a child in Indian Country. According to the evidence presented at his trial, Coriz sexually abused the victim between November 1, 2015, and December 27, 2015.  Coriz lived in the same home as the victim and other family members.   He committed these offenses at night while other household members were sleeping.  Three other victims testified that Coriz also abused them in similar ways.      

           As a repeat offender of sex offenses against minors, Coriz faced mandatory life imprisonment based on his previous conviction for another federal sex crime in 1992. 

           The Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated this case with assistance from the Santa Ana Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas Marshall and Kyle Nayback prosecuted the case.  

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Timothy Chischilly, 48, and Stacy Yellowhorse, 48, of Mexican Springs, New Mexico, appeared in federal court in Albuquerque on Feb. 4 for detention hearings on a criminal complaint charging them with murder.  A federal magistrate judge ordered them to remain in custody pending trial. 

            According to the criminal complaint, Chischilly and Yellowhorse allegedly committed the murder within the boundaries of the Navajo Nation, in McKinley County, in late January 2020.  The victim was allegedly beaten to death with a sledgehammer.  Chischilly and Yellowhorse are members of the Navajo Nation. 

            The FBI arrested Chischilly and Yellowhorse on February 2. They face up to life in prison if convicted of the charged offense.  A criminal complaint is only an accusation.  Defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

            The Gallup office of the FBI investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Police Department, the Gallup Police Department, and the New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator.   Assistant U.S. Attorney Allison Jaros is prosecuting the case.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Brian Clayton Charles, 52, of Tucson, Arizona, was sentenced in federal court today to 18 months (542 days) in prison on five counts of mailing threatening communications to officers from the Albuquerque Police Department. 

            Charles pleaded guilty to these offenses on September 10, 2019.  In his plea agreement, Charles admitted sending threatening letters to five officers using the United States Postal Service.  Charles sent three letters on Sept. 26, 2016, and additional letters on Oct. 6, 2016, and Oct. 11, 2016.  All of these victims are Albuquerque police officers, according to a previous criminal complaint and other court documents.  Charles threatened in the letters to “cause the city residents to exterminate you vile men with their guns, and I will pile your bodies in mass graves in the city cemetery.” 

            According to the previous criminal complaint, the Environmental Protection Agency Office of the Inspector General started an investigation of Charles on Oct. 13, 2015, after he allegedly made threatening communications to EPA Administrator Regina McCarthy at her residence in Massachusetts.  The U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) initiated an investigation into Charles after he allegedly mailed a letter, postmarked March 24, 2016, to the home address of then Secretary of State John Kerry in Washington D.C., which threatened to harm the Secretary of State.

            Charles received 542 days credit on his sentence for time already served.  He will not serve any further time in prison. 

            DSS’s Office of Protective Intelligence Investigations and the Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Inspector General investigated this case jointly with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service and the Albuquerque Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jack E. Burkhead, Paul H. Spiers, and Kimberly A. Brawley prosecuted the case. 

            

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M – Christina Torrez, 45, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, was sentenced today in federal court in Albuquerque to 39 months in prison for conspiracy, bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, and possession of stolen mail.

Torrez previously pleaded guilty to these offenses on July 19, 2019.  According to Torrez’s plea agreement, she participated in a scheme with her husband and co-defendant, Jose Torrez, to steal mail containing credit cards, debit cards, checks, and personal information that could be used to commit more theft. Torrez and her husband accessed bank accounts using stolen identities and withdrew money from the accounts.  Torrez and her husband also used stolen credit and debit cards to buy merchandise from various stores totaling more than $10,000. They also cashed checks from multiple banks and credit unions using false identification. During the scheme, Torrez and her husband also obtained United States Postal Service uniforms, badges, and keys to assist them in stealing mail.

           Jose Torrez is currently in custody awaiting sentencing.

The United States Postal Inspection Service investigated this case with assistance from the Albuquerque Police Department, the Sandia Tribal Police, and the Laguna Pueblo Police Department. Assistant U.S Attorneys Kimberly A. Brawley and Nicholas J. Ganjei are prosecuting the case.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – A federal jury in Las Cruces, New Mexico returned a verdict on January 28 convicting Dain Justin Adams, 38, of Roswell, New Mexico, of child pornography charges including distribution, receipt, and possession of sexually explicit material.

            A grand jury previously returned a fourth superseding indictment on Dec. 17, 2019, charging Adams with two counts of distribution and one count each of possession, receipt, and conspiracy to produce visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.  The indictment also charged Adams with one count of traveling across state lines with the intent to commit aggravated sexual abuse.  The conduct charged in the indictment covered the period from July 3, 2012, to June 27, 2018.  The jury returned a guilty verdict convicting Adams of each count except for traveling across state lines with the intent to commit aggravated sexual abuse.

            According to public court records and trial testimony, law enforcement officers identified an internet protocol address at a residence in Roswell that was being used to access child pornography.  Officers traced this IP address to Adams’s home.  Law enforcement executed a search warrant at the location on June 27, 2018, and found child pornography on electronic devices, including computers.  The evidence at trial connected Adams to this child pornography.   

            A co-defendant in the case, Jade Tiffany Laurezo, 35, Maigao Iloilo, Philippines previously pleaded guilty on Oct. 31, 2019, to production of a visual depiction of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct.  Laurezo testified at trial about chat messages she exchanged with Adams discussing their plans to acquire children as sex slaves and sexually abuse these children together.  

            Adams in currently in custody awaiting sentencing.  He faces 15 to 30 years in prison for conspiracy to produce, 10 to 20 years in prison for possession, and five to 20 years in prison for distribution of visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.  Laurezo is also scheduled to be sentenced at a later date. 

            The Roswell office of the FBI investigated this case with assistance from the FBI’s Las Cruces office, Homeland Security Investigations, the Chaves County Sheriff’s Department, the Las Cruces Police Department, and the Regional Computer Forensics Lab in Albuquerque.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marisa A. Ong and Dustin C. Segovia of the Las Cruces Branch Office are prosecuting the case.      

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Richard E. Sipe, 39, of Las Vegas, Nevada was sentenced in federal court in Albuquerque on January 23 to three years (36 months) in prison for wire fraud after executing a scheme to steal money from a member of the Army by convincing her to accept worthless checks in exchange for cash.

            Sipe previously pleaded guilty to this offense on June 11, 2019.   According to public court records, Sipe met the victim at Sky City Casino near Grants, New Mexico.  Sipe gave the victim a false name and convinced her he had adequate money in the bank but had reached his limit to withdraw money from his account.  Sipe asked the victim to give him cash in exchange for checks written on his bank account.  She agreed and gave Sipe cash in exchange for checks totaling $6000 between approximately December 2017 and April 2018.  The victim withdrew the cash from an ATM.  The victim tried to deposit the checks in her bank account but the bank rejected the checks because Sipe’s account was closed.  When the victim confronted Sipe over the phone, he admitted he had been defrauding people for approximately ten years.  Sipe said he specifically targeted military members because he believed they usually had quick access to cash.

            Sipe’s sentence also included an order to pay restitution to the victim.  Sipe must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after completing his prison sentence. 

            The Bureau of Indian Affairs and New Mexico State Police investigated the case.  U.S. Attorney John C. Anderson prosecuted the case.

            ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Turab Lookman, 67, of Sante Fe, New Mexico, and a former scientist at Los Alamos National Laboratory, pleaded guilty in federal court in Albuquerque today to a charge of making a false statement to a government investigator about his involvement in the Thousand Talents Program, an initiative by the Chinese government to recruit people with access to and knowledge of foreign technology and intellectual property.

            A grand jury previously indicted Lookman on May 22, 2019, on three counts of making false statements to the federal government.  In his plea agreement, Lookman admitted to lying to a counterintelligence investigator from Los Alamos National Laboratory on June 6, 2018.  The investigator asked Lookman if he had been recruited by or applied for a job with the Thousand Talents Program.  Lookman knowingly made a false statement by answering “no” when he knew that he had in fact been recruited by, applied for, and been accepted for participation in the Thousand Talents Program for monetary compensation.   

            Lookman is currently out of custody awaiting sentencing.  He faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

            The FBI investigated this case with support from the Los Alamos National Laboratory.  Assistant U.S. Attorney George C. Kraehe is prosecuting the case.

 

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – U.S. District Judge Judith C. Herrera sentenced Raymond Moya, 36, of Albuquerque, N.M., to life imprisonment in federal court today for his conviction on two heroin trafficking offenses, including a distribution of heroin on Aug. 12, 2011, that resulted in the death of Cameron Weiss, an 18-year-old La Cueva High School student, on Aug. 13, 2011.  A federal jury convicted Moya on May 13, 2019, following a six-day trial. 

            During this morning’s sentencing hearing, Judge Herrera sentenced Moya to 30 years of imprisonment on the heroin distribution not resulting in death charge, with the sentence to run consecutive to a 72-month sentence previously imposed in another federal drug trafficking case in 2014.  The Judge also sentenced Moya to life imprisonment on the heroin distribution resulting in the death charge.

            “The life sentence imposed in this case is a just result for a career criminal who committed the most serious kind of drug offense, distributing heroin resulting in the death of a victim,” said U.S. Attorney John C. Anderson.  “While no punishment can return Cameron Weiss to his family and friends, we hope this sentence provides his loved ones with some measure of healing.”

“This case is a sad reminder that drugs kill, and Raymond Moya’s sentencing sends a strong message that dealers will be held responsible for the death and despair that they cause, “ said DEA Special Agent in Charge Kyle W. Williamson. “DEA remains committed to working with our law enforcement partners to make our communities safer by bringing to justice those who deal drugs with a disregard for human life.”

            “The U.S. Marshals Service is proud to have been a part of this investigation, particularly in support of the victims,” said U.S. Marshal Sonya K. Chavez.  “We are committed to continuing to work diligently for safer communities and justice in our state.”

            “We appreciate the persistence of the Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to ensure justice for the family of Cameron Weiss,” said APD Chief Mike Geier. “Addiction is at the heart of so many problems in our community. We have to target the predators who have no regard for the lives they are ruining.”

            During Moya’s trial, numerous witnesses testified about final week of the life of Cameron Weiss, who died of a heroin overdose on the morning of Aug. 13, 2011.  The jury learned that Mr. Weiss had been addicted to heroin for two years, after getting hooked on opiate painkillers to treat serious sports injuries sustained as a student athlete at La Cueva High School in Albuquerque. 

Mr. Weiss had spent time in rehab, but had relapsed and ended up in jail in Aug. 2011.  While in jail, Mr. Weiss learned that Moya was a source of heroin supply who could be contacted through go-betweens.  After he was released from jail on Aug. 7, 2011, Mr. Weiss contacted a go-between, who purchased heroin from Moya and delivered it to Mr. Weiss.  The following day, Mr. Weiss joined his family in California where they were vacationing; the family returned to Albuquerque on Aug. 11, 2011.  The next day, Aug. 12, 2011, Mr. Weiss met with another go-between, who purchased more heroin from Moya, including heroin which Mr. Weiss ingested over the course of the evening and into the night.  At the end of the night, a friend dropped Mr. Weiss off at home.  Mr. Weiss went into his bedroom and went to sleep; he never woke up.  A pathologist determined that Mr. Weiss died as the result of a heroin overdose.

Moya faced a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment on the heroin distribution resulting in death charge based on his status as a career criminal.  Moya’s prior criminal history included prior felony drug convictions for possession of a controlled substance, trafficking a controlled substance, and possession of marijuana with intent to distribute.

The Albuquerque office of the DEA investigated this case with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service and the Albuquerque Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sean J. Sullivan, Paul Mysliwiec, and Nicholas Jon Ganjei prosecuted the case as part of the Department of Justice’s commitment in partnership with other law enforcement to combat the illegal manufacturing and distribution of methamphetamine, heroin and prescription opioids and to establish new programs to provide services to victims of the opioid crisis. 

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.  – Matthew Ramone, 32, of Thoreau, New Mexico pleaded guilty in federal court in Albuquerque today to two charges of assault resulting in serious bodily injury.

           In Ramone’s plea agreement, he admitted to committing the offenses on the Navajo Nation in McKinley County on Oct. 16, 2019.  The assault began when Ramone struck one victim in the head with a three-foot metal bar.  When the second victim tried to stop the attack, Ramone hit the second victim with the metal bar two or three times.  Both victims suffered serious bodily injury.  Ramone is an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation. 

           Ramone is currently in custody pending sentencing.  Under the plea agreement, he faces up to 20 years in prison.   

           The Gallup office of the FBI investigated this case with the the Crownpoint office of the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Allison Jaros is prosecuting the case.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – David Joe Melendrez, 55, of Mescalero, New Mexico pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Las Cruces, New Mexico, to abusive sexual contact with a child in Indian Country as part of a pattern of sexual abuse of children committed over the course of more than 20 years.

           In Melendrez’s plea agreement, he admitted to abusive sexual contact with a child in December 2018 at a home within the boundaries of the Mescalero Apache Reservation.  Melendrez, an enrolled member of the Mescalero Apache Tribe, sexually abused the victim as she was sleeping during the night.  He continued to abuse her after she woke up.  Melendrez also abused the victim, who is also a member of the Mescalero Apache Tribe, on other previous occasions over the course of seven years.  Melendrez also admitted sexually abusing four other child victims in New Mexico and Arizona dating back to 1995.   Three of these other victims are also members of the Mescalero Apache Tribe.

           Melendrez is currently in custody awaiting sentencing.  He faces up to life in prison.  

           The Las Cruces Resident Agency of the FBI investigated this case with the assistance of the Bureau of Indian Affairs.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Marisa A. Ong is prosecuting the case. 

      ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Anthony Paul Salazar, 23, of Las Vegas, New Mexico pleaded guilty in federal court in Albuquerque on Jan. 14 to a charge of possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine (cocaine base).

            In Salazar’s plea agreement, he admitted committing this offense in San Miguel County on Sept. 19, 2019.  Salazar stored 31 bundles of crack cocaine in a film container at his home in Las Vegas.  He intended to sell this crack cocaine.  The FBI and New Mexico State Police arrested Salazar and seized the drugs during the execution of a federal search warrant at his residence.

            Salazar is currently out of custody awaiting sentencing.  He faces up to 20 years in prison. 

            The FBI investigated this case with the New Mexico State Police.   Assistant U.S. Attorneys from the Las Cruces Branch Office are prosecuting the case.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Waldo Nahle, 37, of Albuquerque, New Mexico was sentended in federal court in Santa Fe, New Mexico on Jan. 10 to more than 20 years (250 months) in prison on three counts of distribution of methamphetamine, two counts of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. 

            Nahle previously pleaded guilty to these offenses on July 22, 2019.  According to public court documents, Nahle participated in sales of methamphetamine to an undercover agent on three different occasions in July 2016.  Nahle conspired with his supplier and another methamphetamine trafficker in obtaining the drugs provided to the undercover agent in these transactions.   

            Nahle also sold a pistol to the undercover agent and a confidential informant during the first transaction.  Nahle was prohibited from possessing any firearms at the time of this offense based on prior felony convictions for armed robbery with a deadly weapon, battery of a peace officer, being a felon in possession of a firearm and shooting from a motor vehicle.

            Following Nahle’s arrest for these offenses, he committed an additional offense of assaulting and impeding a federal employee.  According to public court records, he assaulted a guard at the Sandoval County Detention Center on May 11, 2017.  Nahle held the guard while another inmate kicked and punched the guard.  Nahle pleaded guilty to this offense on Aug. 23, 2018.  He is awaiting sentencing in this matter. 

            The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated the case with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly A. Brawley and Eva M. Fontanez prosecuted the case.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Stanton Sanchez, 32, of Zuni, New Mexico, pleaded guilty in federal court in Albuquerque on Jan. 9 to two charges of assault of a minor resulting in serious bodily injury.

In Sanchez’s plea agreement, he admitted to committing the offenses on the Zuni Pueblo in McKinley County on July 22, 2018.  Sanchez was intoxicated and driving too fast when he hit two children who were walking down a residential road.  Sanchez’s blood alcohol content was more than twice the legal limit.  Both children suffered serious injuries. 

            Sanchez is currently in custody pending sentencing.  He will receive a sentence of 10 years in custody under the terms of his plea agreement. 

            The Pueblo of Zuni Tribal Police Department investigated this case.   Assistant U.S. Attorney Allison Jaros is prosecuting the case.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Harrington Alonzo, 34, of Pinehill, New Mexico, pleaded guilty in federal court in Albuquerque on January 6 to charges of assault with a dangerous weapon in Indian Country, and using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and possessing and discharging the firearm in furtherance of such crime.

            A grand jury previously returned an indictment against Alonzo on May 22, 2019.

            According to Alonzo’s plea agreement, he committed this crime in Cibola County on April 24, 2019.  Alonzo unlawfully assaulted a Navajo Nation police officer by shooting at the officer with a semiautomatic handgun.  The officer was responding to a domestic dispute between Alonzo and his girlfriend.  Alonzo is an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation where this crime occurred. Alonzo is currently in custody pending sentencing. 

           The Gallup resident office of the FBI and the Ramah Navajo Police Department investigated this case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Novaline D. Wilson is prosecuting the case.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Clarence Garcia, 64, an enrolled member of the Santo Domingo Pueblo, who resides in Santo Domingo Pueblo, New Mexico, was sentenced today in federal court in Albuquerque to 15 years (180 months) in prison for abusive sexual contact. 

           Garcia pleaded guilty to this offense on Sept. 13, 2019.  In his plea agreement, Garcia admitted that he committed the crime on the Santo Domingo Pueblo in Sandoval County on Nov. 10, 2013 by touching the genitalia of a girl under the age of 12 to gratify his own sexual desire.

           The FBI and the Bureau of Indian Affairs investigated this case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph M. Spindle prosecuted the case.

 

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Larry Mitchell Hopkins, who is also known as Johnny Horton Jr., 70, of Flora Vista, New Mexico, pleaded guilty in federal court in Albuquerque today to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

            A grand jury indicted Hopkins for this offense on April 24, 2019.  In his plea agreement, Hopkins admitted committing this offense in San Juan County by possessing nine pistols, rifles, and shotguns on Nov. 28, 2017.  Hopkins also admitted possessing ammunition after being previously convicted of felony offenses in Michigan, Oregon, and South Dakota, including illegal weapon possession and impersonating a peace officer.

            Hopkins is currently in custody awaiting sentencing.  He faces up to 10 years in prison for this offense. 

            The FBI investigated this case.  The Sunland Park Police Department assisted in arresting Hopkins.  Assistant U.S. Attorney George C. Kraehe is prosecuting the case.

            ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Lalonzo Simmons, 44, of Albuquerque, NM, pleaded guilty today in federal court to committing three armed robberies with another man in 2018.

            Simmons pleaded guilty to three counts of an indictment charging him with interference with commerce by robbery and violence and one count of using, carrying, brandishing, and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence.  Simmons also pleaded guilty to a felony information charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm.

            Simmons admitted in his plea agreement that he committed these armed robberies at businesses in Albuquerque over the course of two months.  Simmons admitted another man assisted him in these robberies, and that both of them possessed firearms during the crimes.

            According to the plea agreement, Simmons and the other man robbed a fast food restaurant on March 19, 2018.  During this robbery, Simmons accidentally discharged an assault rifle behind the counter.  Later in the robbery, Simmons pressed his rifle to the back of a store employee to force the employee to open a cash register.  The other man shot his gun while in a back room of the restaurant with another employee.  Both Simmons and the other man fled the store with cash from the register.

            In his plea agreement, Simmons admitted that he and the other man also robbed a marijuana dispensary on April 3, 2018.  They ordered employees at gunpoint to sit down.  The other man grabbed cash from a register.  Both men also stole marijuana products from the store before fleeing.

            Simmons also admitted that he and the other man also robbed a different marijuana dispensary on May 1, 2018.  This time Simmons used a pistol in the offense.  Simmons stood guard at the door while the other man fired his gun into the ceiling, threatened employees and customers, and stole money and marijuana products. 

            Police arrested Simmons at his home a few hours after the third robbery.   Simmons had a rifle with an obliterated serial number at his home at the time of his arrest.

            Simmons faces up to 20 years in prison for each count of interference with interstate commerce by robbery or violence.  He faces from 10 years to life in prison for using, carrying, brandishing, and discharging a firearm and for being a felon in possession of a firearm. 

            Simmons currently is in custody awaiting sentencing.  He previously was convicted of an unrelated charge of armed robbery with a deadly weapon, theft of means of transportation, aggravated battery with great bodily harm, conspiracy to commit aggravated burglary, and false imprisonment.  

            The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated the case with the Albuquerque Police Department.  Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Trembley prosecuted the case as part of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s “SAUSA Partnership” with the 2nd Judicial District Attorney’s Office, a joint initiative designed to reduce violent crime in Albuquerque.    

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.  - U.S. Attorney John C. Anderson announced today that the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico collected $1,914,673.40 in criminal and civil actions in Fiscal Year 2019.  Of this amount, $1,411,492.49 was collected in criminal actions and $503,180.91 was collected in civil actions. 

            “One of the most powerful tools in the prosecution of drug, financial, and other crime is the ability to divest criminals of their ill-gotten gains and compensate victims for physical injury and monetary losses,” said U.S. Attorney John C. Anderson.  “Collection is also effective in civil litigation to recover government money lost to fraud and penalize other misconduct.   These impressive criminal and civil collections in 2018 demonstrate the commitment of the U.S. Attorney’s Office to providing economic justice to the people of New Mexico.”

             As one example of the U.S. Attorney’s collection efforts, in Oct. 2018, the District of New Mexico recovered $184,251.79 from a defendant who filed false tax returns for 10 years.  The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, along with the department’s litigating divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the U.S. and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims.  The law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss.  While restitution is paid to the victim, criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to the department’s Crime Victims Fund, which distributes the funds collected to federal and state victim compensation and victim assistance programs.

            Additionally, the U.S. Attorney’s office for the District of New Mexico, working with partner agencies and divisions, collected $1,349,432 in asset forfeiture actions in FY 2019.  Forfeited assets deposited into the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund are used to restore funds to crime victims and for a variety of law enforcement purposes.

 

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Jody Rufino Martinez, 40, of Truchas, New Mexico appeared in federal court in Albuquerque yesterday for arraignment on a superseding indictment charging him with racketeering and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

            A grand jury returned the superseding indictment charging these offenses on Dec. 11, 2019.   A grand jury previously indicted Martinez on Oct. 16, 2019, for the firearm offense only.  According to the superseding indictment, Martinez was a member of the Syndicato de Nuevo Mexico gang from 1998 through June 7, 2019.  SNM is a powerful and violent prison gang formed soon after a deadly riot at the Penitentiary of New Mexico in 1980.  SNM has allegedly controlled drug distribution and other illegal activities within the New Mexico prison system and engaged in street-level narcotics trafficking. 

            The superseding indictment accuses Martinez of racketeering conspiracy for conducting affairs of the SNM gang as a criminal enterprise through a pattern of criminal activity.  This activity allegedly included beating a corrections officer on Oct. 31, 1999, and shooting a rival and intimidating a witness on Oct. 24, 2018. 

            Martinez is currently in custody awaiting trial on the superseding indictment.  He faces up to 20 years in prison for racketeering and up to 10 years in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.  An indictment is only an accusation.  A defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

            The FBI investigated this case with the New Mexico Corrections Department and the New Mexico State Police.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys from the Las Cruces Branch Office are prosecuting the case.

            ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Anthony Romero, 38, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, was sentenced in federal court in Albuquerque on Dec.16 to more than 14 years (171 months) in prison for interference with interstate commerce by robbery and using, carrying, and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.

            Romero pleaded guilty to these offenses on Sept. 3.  In his plea agreement, he admitted robbing a pizza restaurant in Albuquerque on May 9, 2017.  Romero went to a drive-through window and threatened an employee with a firearm.  He fired two shots from a .45 caliber revolver and then entered the restaurant through the window where he forced the employee to empty three cash registers.  Romero fled the scene with the money in a leather bag.  In Romero’s plea agreement, he also admitted to committing other robberies the same day.

            The FBI investigated the case with the Albuquerque Police Department.  Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Trembley prosecuted the case as part of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s “SAUSA Partnership” with the Bernalillo County District Attorney’s Office, a joint initiative designed to reduce violent crime in Albuquerque.    

U.S. ATTORNEY JOHN C. ANDERSON OF THE DISTRICT OF NEW MEXICO TO ANNOUNCE STREAM OF LAW ENFORCEMENT RESOURCES TO ADDRESS PERSISTENT VIOLENT CRIME IN ALBUQUERQUE

 

****** MEDIA ADVISORY ******

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – United States Attorney John C. Anderson will announce Attorney General William P. Barr’s new initiative to reduce violent crime in Albuquerque.

WHO:                      

John C. Anderson

United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico

 

Sonya K. Chavez

United States Marshal for the District of New Mexico

 

James C. Langenberg

Special Agent in Charge of the Albuquerque Field Office

Federal Bureau of Investigation

 

Monique Y. Villegas

Special Agent in Charge of the Phoenix Field Division

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

 

Kyle W. Williamson

Special Agent in Charge of the El Paso Division

Drug Enforcement Administration

 

Mike Geier

Chief of Police

Albuquerque Police Department

 

Manuel Gonzales III

Sheriff

Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office

 

WHAT:                     

The United States Attorney and Department of Justice law enforcement leaders will announce their participation in a new violent crime reduction initiative.

WHEN:                     

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

12:30 p.m. MST (2:30 P.M. EST)

WHERE:                  

The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico

201 Third Street N.W.

Suite 900

Albuquerque, New Mexico 87102

OPEN PRESS

NOTE: All media representatives must present government-issued photo I.D. (i.e., driver’s license) as well as valid

media credentials.

 

Media representatives must arrive by 12:00 p.m. MST.  Inquiries regarding logistics should be directed to Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean J. Sullivan at 505-224-1514.

 

Do not reply to this message. If you have questions, please use the email addresses and telephone numbers for the contacts in the message.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Ferrigno Yuselew, 37, of Zuni, New Mexico, pleaded guilty in federal court in Albuquerque yesterday to a charge of assault of an intimate partner by strangling or suffocating.

In Yuselew’s plea agreement, he admitted to committing the offense on the Zuni Pueblo in McKinley County on December 17, 2015.  Yuselew put his hands around his wife’s neck and strangled her until she lost consciousness.  The couple’s two children were at home during the assault.   Yuselew is an enrolled member of Zuni Pueblo. 

            Yuselew is currently in custody pending sentencing.  He faces up to 21 months in prison under the terms of his plea agreement. 

            The Pueblo of Zuni Tribal Police Department investigated this case.   Assistant U.S. Attorney Allison Jaros is prosecuting the case.

 

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - Attorney General William P. Barr and John C. Anderson, the U.S. Attorney for the District of New Mexico, announced today the launch of Operation Relentless Pursuit, an initiative aimed at combating violent crime in seven of America’s most violent cities – including Albuquerque - through a stream of federal resources.

      At a press conference in Detroit, Attorney General Barr pledged to intensify federal law enforcement resources into Albuquerque, Baltimore, Cleveland, Detroit, Kansas City, Memphis, and Milwaukee – seven American cities with violent crime levels several times the national average.  Attorney General Barr was joined at the press conference by Acting Director Regina Lombardo of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives,  Acting Administrator Uttam Dhillon of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Director Christopher Wray of the FBI, and Director Donald W. Washington of the U.S. Marshals Service. 

      United States Attorney John C. Anderson and Albuquerque-based federal and local law enforcement leaders announced their participation in the initiative in a press conference in Albuquerque immediately following the Attorney General’s press conference.

      “Americans deserve to live in safety,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “And while nationwide violent crime rates are down, many cities continue to see levels of extraordinary violence. Operation Relentless Pursuit seeks to ensure that no American city is excluded from the peace and security felt by the majority of Americans, while also supporting those who serve and protect in these communities with the resources, training, and equipment they need to stay safe.”

      “We sincerely appreciate the commitment of Attorney General Barr and the Department of Justice to addressing violent crime in Albuquerque,” said U.S. Attorney Anderson. “Operation Relentless Pursuit comes at a time when sustained federal support is urgently needed to help all the brave men and women in law enforcement who are daily called upon to respond to acts of violent crime on the streets of Albuquerque.  We stand by them, and we will continue to work to strengthen all of our existing partnerships to meet the challenges ahead.”

      “The U.S. Marshals Service is proud to work jointly with our law enforcement partners here in New Mexico to bring new resources to our state and enhance our ability focus on high-crime areas,” said Sonya K. Chavez, United States Marshal for the District of New Mexico.  “This initiative will also send a strong message to those who choose to repeatedly break the law.  We are not going away and we will continue to work together as a community to provide safe streets and a safe environment for New Mexico families.”

      “The men and women of the Albuquerque FBI Division are eager and ready to participate in this initiative not only because fighting crime is what we do, but also because we live here and care deeply about the safety of our communities,” said James C. Langenberg, Special Agent in Charge of FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office.  “We will use the extra resources that will come through Operation Relentless Pursuit to continue to go after the violent repeat offenders responsible for much of the crime in our neighborhoods.

      “Reducing violent crime in our community is a challenge that must be tackled head-on with our long standing partnership with state and local law enforcement professionals,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Monique Villegas of the Phoenix Field Division.  “Through the use of innovative crime gun enforcement strategies, combined with the skill sets and capabilities of all four of DOJ’s federal law enforcement agencies allows us to focus on those communities that are victimized by gun violence.”

      “The DEA is proud to participate in this important nationwide initiative to reduce violent crime,” said Special Agent in Charge Kyle W. Williamson of DEA’s El Paso Division.  “By working together with shared determination, law enforcement agencies can leverage their individual tools, resources and expertise to make a positive and lasting impact around the country and in our local communities like Albuquerque.”

            Operation Relentless Pursuit will involve increasing the number of federal law enforcement officers to the selected cities, as well as bulking up federal task forces through collaborative efforts with state and local law enforcement partners. The surge in federal agents will be complemented by a financial commitment of up to $71 million in federal grant funding that can be used to hire new officers, pay overtime and benefits, finance federally deputized task force officers, and provide mission-critical equipment and technology. 

 

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.  – David Adrian Enriquez, 35, of Las Cruces, New Mexico was sentenced on December 13 in federal court in Las Cruces, New Mexico to 188 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

            Enriquez pleaded guilty to these offenses on July 2.  In his plea agreement, he admitted to possessing a .45 caliber pistol illegally in his car when police stopped him for reckless driving on Dec. 25, 2018.  Enriquez also possessed methamphetamine, cocaine, and prescription pills illegally at his home when police arrested him there on March 1, 2019.  The methamphetamine weighed about 1109 grams.  Enriquez intended to distribute it.  Enriquez also possessed a small scale, plastic bags, $1050 in cash, and three counterfeit $100 bills.   Enriquez also possessed another pistol, rifle, and ammunition at his home.  Enriquez was forbidden from possessing these firearms and ammunition because of prior felony convictions.

            The FBI investigated this case with the Las Cruces Police Department and the Las Cruces/Doña Ana County Metro Narcotics Agency.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Randy Castellano of the Las Cruces Branch Office prosecuted the case.

 

            ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – John Henry Bevel Jr., 44, of Las Cruces, New Mexico, was sentenced on Dec. 12 in federal court in Las Cruces, New Mexico to 25 years (300 months) in prison on child pornography charges.  Bevel was also ordered to pay $25,000.00 in restitution to one of the victims of his crime.

            Bevel pleaded guilty to advertising visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, distribution of child pornography, receipt of child pornography, and possession of child pornography. 

            In Bevel’s plea agreement, he admitted using a messaging application on his cell phone between Oct. 17, 2017, and Oct. 18, 2017, to communicate with another person about receiving and exchanging videos and photographs of minors engaged in sexual activity.  Bevel also admitted sending child pornography over a messaging application on Sept. 25, 2017.  Bevel also admitted possessing child pornography in an online storage account on Sept. 24, 2017.  Bevel previously lived in Albuquerque. 

            Homeland Security Investigations investigated this case with the assistance of the Las Cruces Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Marisa A. Ong of the Las Cruces Branch Office prosecuted the case.

ALBUQUERQUE – Michael Duran, 33, of Española, N.M., and a member of the Ohkay Owingeh tribe, pleaded guilty in federal court in Albuquerque on December 13 to robbing a restaurant and gas station on the Santa Clara Pueblo in October 2017. 

            Duran pleaded guilty to an information charging him with one count of interference with interstate commerce by robbery and violence, two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, and one count of discharging a firearm during a crime of violence.  According to the information and other public court records, Duran robbed a gas station convenience store in Española on Oct. 1, 2017, by entering the business, pointing a gun at the store clerk, and demanding money from the cash register.  He got away with $50 in cash and several boxes of cigarettes. 

            On Oct. 16, 2017, Duran robbed a restaurant in Española.  He approached the walk-up order window and demanded money while pointing a firearm at a restaurant employee.  Duran fired his weapon into the business and fled the scene.  No one was injured.

            Duran is currently in custody awaiting sentencing.  He faces a sentence of 198 months in prison under the terms of his plea agreement. 

            The Northern Pueblo Agency of the Bureau of Indian Affairs investigated this case with assistance from the Espanola Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys David P. Cowen and Jennifer M. Rozzoni are prosecuting the case.

            ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Hassan Alqahtani, 28, of Saudi Arabia, made an initial appearance in federal court in Albuquerque today on a criminal complaint charging him with illegal possession of a firearm by an alien admitted to the United States under a nonimmigrant visa.

            According to a criminal complaint, Alqahtani allegedly possessed a .380 caliber firearm at his residence when the FBI searched the property on December 12, 2019.  Alqahtani is a citizen of Saudi Arabia.  He was lawfully admitted into the United States on a student visa.  Alqahtani is currently enrolled at the University of New Mexico School of Engineering.

            Alqahtani is currently in custody pending a detention hearing on December 16.  He faces up to ten years in prison if convicted of the charged offense.  A criminal complaint is only an accusation.  A defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

            The Albuquerque office of the FBI investigated this case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney George Kraehe is prosecuting the case.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Eric Matthew Reddick, 23, of Albuquerque was sentenced in federal court on December 10 to 217 months in prison for two armed robberies he committed in 2017. 

            According to public court records, Reddick committed the first armed robbery in Albuquerque on October 3, 2017.  Reddick and another man went inside a gas station carrying firearms.  They wore masks, gloves, and hats to conceal their identities.  Reddick and the other man pointed their guns at a clerk and demanded money.  The clerk told them to calm down and assured them he would get the money.  However, Reddick shot his pistol at shelves of liquor behind the clerk.  The clerk then handed over money from the cash register.  Reddick and the other man fled the store. 

            On October 6, 2017, Reddick went to a convenience store in Albuquerque.  He picked up a pack of gum and put in on the counter with a dollar bill.  When the clerk opened a cash register, Reddick pulled out a pistol and demanded money.  This was the same gun Reddick used in the previous robbery three days earlier.  Reddick took money from the clerk and left the store with two witnesses watching him.  One of the witnesses took a cell photo picture of Reddick as he ran towards a car.  Reddick fired several shots at the witnesses, striking one in the neck and the other in the leg.  Reddick fled the scene in a stolen vehicle but police later tracked him down at a restaurant parking lot.  Officers stopped the vehicle, arrested Reddick, and seized the gun used in the robberies.

            On November 30, 2017, Reddick pleaded guilty to an indictment charging him with interference with interstate commerce by robbery and carrying, brandishing, and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.  These charges stemmed from the robbery on October 6, 2017.   On March 25, 2019, Reddick pleaded guilty to an information charging him with interference with interstate commerce by robbery.  This charge stemmed from the robbery on October 3.  Reddick received concurrent sentences of 97 months in prison for the two robbery offenses.  He received a consecutive sentence of 120 months in prison for the firearm offense for a total sentence of 217 months imprisonment.

            The FBI investigated this case with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Albuquerque Police Department.  Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Trembley prosecuted the case as part of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s “SAUSA Partnership” with the Bernalillo County District Attorney’s Office, a joint initiative designed to reduce violent crime in Albuquerque.    

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Zayra Olivia Alvarado, 36, of Santa Fe, New Mexico, appeared in federal court in Albuquerque on December 6 for an arraignment on an indictment charging her with theft of public money from the United States. 

            A grand jury returned an indictment against Alvarado on November 20.  The indictment charged Alvarado with 100 counts of allegedly cashing checks drawn on the U.S. Department of Treasury each in the amount $1000 or more.  Alvarado allegedly committed these offenses between February 17, 2015, and October 26, 2015, causing a loss to the Treasury of hundreds of thousands of dollars. 

            Alvarado is currently out of custody pending trial.  She faces up to 10 years in prison for each offense.  An indictment is only an accusation.  A defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

            The Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation investigated this case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly A. Brawley is prosecuting the case.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Jose Manuel Diaz-Montelongo, 32, of Roswell, New Mexico was sentenced yesterday in federal court to 207 months in prison for discharging a firearm during a drug trafficking crime and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. 

            Diaz-Montelongo pleaded guilty to these offenses on February 21, 2018.   According to public court documents, Diaz-Montelongo led police officers in Roswell on a high-speed chase on September 24, 2017.  Diaz-Montelongo then barricaded himself inside his car for more than two hours before fleeing to a rifle range where he used a berm as cover while shooting at police officers and deputy sheriffs with an assault rifle.  Diaz-Montelongo eventually surrendered to law enforcement.  Police recovered the assault rifle, two pistols, and about 54.6 grams of methamphetamine from the scene.

            Homeland Security Investigations investigated this case with assistance from the New Mexico State Police, Roswell Police Department, and Chaves County Sheriff’s Office.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron O. Jordan of the Las Cruces Branch Office prosecuted the case.  

A former civilian employee of the United States Air Force (USAF) pleaded guilty today for making false statements in connection with a federal investigation into the employee’s theft of government funds.

Gregory Burris, 48, of Miesau, Germany, pleaded guilty to one count of making false statements before U.S. Magistrate Judge Karen B. Molzen of the District of New Mexico.  A sentencing date has not been set.

According to documents filed with the court and admissions made in connection with Burris’s plea, between approximately 2013 and 2016, Burris was employed by the USAF as a Resource Advisor and was assigned to a multinational electronic warfare training facility (Polygone) near Ramstein Air Base in Germany.  In this position, Burris was responsible for, among other duties, generating and transmitting invoices and payment instructions to foreign militaries for their use of Polygone’s facilities.

Between early 2015 and early 2016, Burris generated and transmitted six invoices to foreign militaries for money owed to the U.S. government for expenses related to Polygone-sponsored training exercises.  Burris directed these militaries to transmit payment of the invoices to Burris’s personal checking account at a German bank, held jointly with his wife, rather than the authorized Department of Defense (DOD) bank account.  As a result of Burris’s instructions, foreign militaries unwittingly deposited approximately $144,953.41 into Burris’s personal bank account.

Federal investigators in Albuquerque, New Mexico, interviewed Burris on Aug. 29, 2018.  During the interview, he falsely stated that after receiving the deposits from the foreign militaries in his personal bank account, he wire-transferred the funds from his personal bank account to the authorized DOD bank account by requesting and authorizing each transfer in person at his local bank branch in Germany.  In fact, Burris used the entirety of these funds to pay for personal expenses.

The Air Force Office of Special Investigations and the Department of Defense Office of the Inspector General investigated this case.  Trial Attorney Erica O’Brien Waymack of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section is prosecuting the case.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Harry Jim, Jr., 36, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation who resides in Fruitland, N.M., was sentenced on Dec. 3, 2019, in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to 36 months of imprisonment for his conviction on an assault resulting in serious bodily injury charge.  Jim will be on supervised release for three years after completing his prison sentence.

Jim was arrested on July 13, 2018, on a criminal complaint charging him with assault resulting in serious bodily injury, and remained in custody since his arrest.  Jim was indicted on Nov. 28, 2018.  According to the indictment, Jim assaulted a man resulting in serious bodily injury on or about July 7, 2018, on the Navajo Indian Reservation in San Juan County, N.M.

Jim pleaded guilty to the indictment on June 13, 2019.  In his plea agreement, Jim admitted that he operated a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol and caused a crash on the Navajo Nation.  The crash caused a man in another vehicle to suffer a broken femur and finger.

The case was investigated by the Shiprock office of the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety and the Farmington office of the FBI, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph M. Spindle.

James Baldinger, 51, a former private prisoner transport officer with the Prisoner Transportation Services of America LLC (PTS), was sentenced today in federal court in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to two years in prison for sexually assaulting a female during transport.

According to court documents, Baldinger worked as a transport officer for PTS, a private prisoner extradition company that contracts with government agencies to transport individuals arrested on out-state-warrants to the extraditing jurisdiction. On or about July 11-12, 2017, during a transport from Kentucky to Bernalillo County, New Mexico, Baldinger sexually assaulted a female who was in his custody. Specifically, he touched her while she was restrained and without her consent. As a result of Baldinger’s conduct, the victim suffered pain and injury. Baldinger admitted that he knew what he was doing was wrong and against the law, yet he did so anyway. 

“The Department of Justice will hold accountable anyone who uses their law enforcement authority to sexually assault individuals in their custody,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband of the Civil Rights Division. “The Civil Rights Division will continue to vigorously prosecute these cases and secure justice for victims of these despicable crimes.”

“Every individual has a fundamental right not be sexually assaulted. By taking advantage of his power over the victim, and sexually abusing her, this defendant committed a grievous violation of the public trust,” said U.S. Attorney John C. Anderson for the District of New Mexico. “Today’s sentence should send a clear message that the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico will work tirelessly to bring to justice those who abuse their authority to perpetrate such appalling crimes.”

This case was investigated by the Albuquerque Division of the FBI and the New Mexico State Police. It was prosecuted by Special Litigation Counsel Fara Gold and Trial Attorney Maura White of the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, as well as Assistant United States Attorney Shaheen Torgoley, formerly of the District of New Mexico and Assistant United States Attorney Kimberly Brawley, of the District of New Mexico.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Marion L. Ledford, 65, of Alamogordo, New Mexico pleaded guilty in federal court in Las Cruces, New Mexico today to tax evasion for failing to report income embezzled from the non-profit organization where Ledford was a director.

Ledford pleaded guilty to an information charging Ledford with submitting a personal income tax return on April 28, 2016, that substantially underreported Ledford’s taxable income for 2015.  According to Ledford’s plea agreement, Ledford was a director for the Robert W. Hamilton Foundation, a non-profit organization providing scholarships to high school graduates in Otero County, New Mexico.  Ledford controlled the foundation’s finances without oversight.  This allowed Ledford to write $1,785,300 in checks to himself from the foundation’s accounts. 

Ledford filed tax returns for 2011 to 2016 that reported some of Ledford’s income but did not report the additional money Ledford embezzled from the foundation by writing the checks.   This caused a $629,289 loss in tax revenue for the United States.    

Ledford is currently out of custody awaiting sentencing.  Ledford faces up to five years in prison.  He also agreed to pay $2,414,589 in restitution to the foundation and Internal Revenue Service.

The Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation investigated this case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard C. Williams is prosecuting the case.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico and the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division announced the successful return of an item of cultural patrimony, a ceremonial war shield (“Shield”) sacred to the Pueblo of Acoma.  Acoma Pueblo is one of 22 federally recognized Native American tribes in New Mexico.

On July 20, 2016, the United States filed a civil complaint seeking forfeiture of the Acoma Shield from the Eve Auction House (“Eve”) in Paris, France.  The complaint alleged that on May 27, 2016, the FBI in Albuquerque, N.M., learned that Eve had scheduled an auction for May 30, 2016 in Paris.  Eve identified the Shield as one of the items for auction.  The auction house numbered this item as Lot #68, describing it as: “BOUCLIER DE GUERRE PUEBLO PROBABLEMENT ACOMA OU JEMEZ XIX SIÈCLE OU PLUS ANCIEN CUIR.” (Shield of war pueblo probably Acoma or Jemez XIX century or more old leather).  The lawsuit marks the first time the United States filed an action to forfeit an item of cultural patrimony from any European auction house.

On July 16, 2019, the United States, the Pueblo of Acoma, and the consignor of the Shield, Jerold Collings, entered into a settlement agreement to facilitate the Shield’s return to its home at the Pueblo of Acoma.  In the agreement, the parties stipulated to the delivery of the Shield to the custody of a federal law enforcement agent at the U.S. Embassy in Paris, France.  Following the delivery of the Shield, an agent will transport the Shield to the evidence room at the Bureau of Indian Affairs in Albuquerque.  After the Shield arrives in Albuquerque, the United States will move for dismissal of the forfeiture case and release the Shield to the Pueblo of Acoma.

The Department of Justice’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, and the Department of Justice’s Attaché at the Embassy worked diligently with the French officials to ensure that Eve released the Shield to the custody of the United States.  On Nov. 12, 2019, Eve surrendered the Shield to a Special Agent of the FBI’s Art Crime Team.

“The pursuit of this case demonstrates the United States’ commitment to protect and preserve sacred Native American items for the benefit of their rightful Native American owners,” said John C. Anderson, U.S. Attorney for the District of New Mexico.  “This case also serves to put merchants, traders, and collectors on notice that they have a duty to know the nature and origin of the items in which they deal so that they are not unwittingly trafficking or possessing precious items of Native American cultural patrimony.”

In the course of the FBI’s investigation, tribal leaders showed pictures of the Ceremonial Shield that was being offered for sale by the EVE Auction House to an enrolled member of the Pueblo of Acoma.  The tribal member identified the photographs as depicting the exact Shield her grandfather had used in cultural and religious ceremonies for the Pueblo.  Her grandfather had held the position of traditional kiva leader and cultural practitioner with the Pueblo.  As such, he was the caretaker of this Ceremonial Shield, which was kept in the family home atop the mesa known as Sky City within the exterior boundaries of the Pueblo of Acoma.

The Shield is more than 100 years old and is a sacred item with historical, traditional, cultural and ongoing religious importance to the people of the Pueblo of Acoma.  As such, it properly is entrusted solely to the care of the traditional leaders of the Pueblo of Acoma.

In the Eve Auction House catalog for Lot #68, an expert in American Indian artifacts wrote that this “very rare war shield” was either of the Acoma or Jemez Pueblos and  estimated to be from the 19th century or older.  The description also states that these shields were used by the pueblo people from 1700 to 1850, and “with a few exceptions they were no longer manufactured after that date.”

Under Pueblo of Acoma law, the Shield cannot be destroyed, alienated outside of the Pueblo, appropriated by someone outside of the Pueblo, or conveyed by any individual outside of the Pueblo.

The Department of Justice thanks its French partners for their assistance in this matter.

“The sale of Native American cultural and religious items in Europe and around the world have generated millions of dollars,” said James C. Langenberg, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Albuquerque Division.  “We will continue to work to prevent these sales and seek repatriation of invaluable cultural items to their Native American homes.”

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Federal officials and Tribal Leaders of the Pueblo of Acoma will hold a press conference at 10:00 a.m., on Monday, November 18, 2019, at the offices of the Bureau of the Indian Affairs in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to make a significant announcement regarding an important item of cultural patrimony.

WHO:             The Honorable John C. Anderson

U.S. Attorney for the District of New Mexico

                        The Honorable Brian Vallo

Governor of the Pueblo of Acoma

                        James C. Langenberg

Special Agent in Charge, FBI Albuquerque Division

James “Jim” James

Deputy Bureau Director-Field Operations, Bureau of Indian Affairs

Member, Pueblo of Ohkay Owingeh

WHAT:          Press Conference

WHEN:          Monday, November 18, 2019 at 10:00 a.m. MST

WHERE:       Bureau of Indian Affairs – Southwest Regional Office

                        Conference Room 133 on the First Floor

                        1001 Indian School Road NW

                        Albuquerque, NM 87104

OPEN PRESS

NOTE:  All media representatives must present government-issued photo I.D. (i.e., driver’s license) as well as valid media credentials when they check in with security upon entering the building.  Media representatives may begin to arrive at 9:15 a.m.  Inquiries regarding logistics should be directed to Sean Sullivan at 505-350-3153 or [email protected].

NOTE ALSO:  Due to ongoing construction at the BIA-SWRO, visitors are encouraged to use 12th Street and Indian School to enter the premises. 

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Federal officials and Tribal Leaders of the Pueblo of Acoma will hold a press conference at 10:00 a.m., on Monday, November 18, 2019, at the offices of the Bureau of the Indian Affairs in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to make a significant announcement regarding an important item of cultural patrimony.

WHO:             The Honorable John C. Anderson

U.S. Attorney for the District of New Mexico

                        The Honorable Brian Vallo

Governor of the Pueblo of Acoma

                        James C. Langenberg

Special Agent in Charge, FBI Albuquerque Division

James “Jim” James

Deputy Bureau Director-Field Operations, Bureau of Indian Affairs

Member, Pueblo of Ohkay Owingeh

WHAT:          Press Conference

WHEN:          Monday, November 18, 2019 at 10:00 a.m. MST

WHERE:       Bureau of Indian Affairs – Southwest Regional Office

                        Conference Room 133 on the First Floor

                        1001 Indian School Road NW

                        Albuquerque, NM 87104

OPEN PRESS

NOTE:  All media representatives must present government-issued photo I.D. (i.e., driver’s license) as well as valid media credentials when they check in with security upon entering the building.  Media representatives may begin to arrive at 9:15 a.m.  Inquiries regarding logistics should be directed to Sean Sullivan at 505-350-3153 or [email protected].

NOTE ALSO:  Due to ongoing construction at the BIA-SWRO, visitors are encouraged to use 12th Street and Indian School to enter the premises. 

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – U.S. Attorney John C. Anderson announced today the appointment of a full-time Assistant U.S. Attorney to be stationed permanently in Roswell, N.M., to strengthen the efforts of the U.S. Attorney’s Office to serve the citizens of southeastern New Mexico, and to enhance the office’s partnerships with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies in the region.

            “We are the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the entire State of New Mexico, and Roswell has always been an important focal point for our prosecutions in the southeastern part of the state,” said U.S. Attorney Anderson.  “This new on-the-ground presence in Roswell will provide us with valuable insight into the needs and priorities of the communities of southeastern New Mexico, and offer our law enforcement partners in this region closer coordination and immediate guidance on the most urgent crime reduction and other public safety matters.”

            Officials of the U.S. Marshals Service, FBI, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and U.S. Border Patrol, joined the U.S. Attorney in making the announcement at the offices of the Roswell Police Department.  These federal agencies routinely work with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to investigate and prosecute a wide-variety of federal criminal activity, including drug trafficking, human trafficking, firearms offenses, illegal immigration, violent crime in Indian Country, child exploitation, complex financial crime, public corruption, and national security offenses.   

            “Having a full-time prosecutor in Roswell, re-affirms our commitment in federal law enforcement to the Roswell and southeastern New Mexico communities,” said Sonya K. Chavez, U.S. Marshal for the District of New Mexico.  “We are in this fight together and we are fully invested in continuing to support all law enforcement efforts and the people in this region of New Mexico.”

            “The men and women at the FBI Roswell Resident Agency have investigated crimes ranging from drug-trafficking to bank robbery in southeast New Mexico for years,” said Special Agent in Charge James C. Langenberg of the FBI’s Albuquerque Division.  “Having a permanently assigned Assistant U.S. Attorney here will give the FBI and our partners the ability to make an even greater impact in this important region of our state.”

            “HSI is pleased to announce the opening of an investigations office in Roswell,” said Special Agent in Charge Jack P. Staton of the HSI’s El Paso Division.  “HSI Special Agents assigned to the new office will increase our ongoing commitment and support to our local, state and federal law enforcement partners in eastern New Mexico.”

             “Federal, state and local law enforcement have come together to meet the need for a greater presence in Roswell, New Mexico.” said Kyle W. Williamson, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA El Paso Division.  “DEA is proud to work with our partners, leveraging our respective resources to pursue those who threaten our communities.”

            “The U.S. Attorney’s Office has a long history of service to communities throughout New Mexico,” stated Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey C. Boshek II of the ATF Dallas Division. 
“The addition of permanent services in Roswell is a tremendous enhancement to resources and strategies available to ATF, our law enforcement partners, community leaders, and residents of the area.  We are thrilled with the announcement.”

            “IRS-CI is pleased to learn of the U.S. Attorney’s Office new presence in Southeastern New Mexico and we look forward to having an increased ability to investigate cases in a more effective and efficient manner in that part of the state,” said Ismael Nevarez Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Phoenix Field Office of IRS Criminal Investigation.

“Officers with ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations have been living and working in Roswell for the past couple years, and we stand with all of our partners in our commitment to combat crime and threats to the safety of the citizens of Roswell,” said Corey A. Price, Field Office Director for ERO El Paso.  “Our efforts to curb criminal activity are more effective when partnerships with local law enforcement are strong.”

              The U.S. Attorney’s Office and its federal partners also work closely with state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies towards the common goal of public safety.  In addition to the Roswell Police Department, which hosted the press conference, the New Mexico State Police, Chaves County Sheriff’s Office, Eddy County Sheriff’s Office, Lea County Sheriff’s Department, Artesia Police Department, Carlsbad Police Department, and Hobbs Police Department joined U.S. Attorney Anderson in making the announcement.

            “We at the Roswell Police Department not only welcome assistance from our federal partners, but we wholeheartedly appreciate this step toward making Roswell safer as a community,” said Phil Smith, Chief of Police for the City of Roswell.

            “As the Chief of the New Mexico State Police, I understand the challenges associated with operating a law enforcement organization whose jurisdiction is the entire state,” said Tim Johnson, Chief of the New Mexico State Police.  “Having an Assistant U.S. Attorney in Roswell will benefit and streamline communication not only for my officers, but also for all federal, state and local agencies in the southern part of New Mexico.”

            “I sincerely support and welcome the addition of an AUSA in the Roswell area,” said Corey M. Helton, Lea County Sheriff.  “This will greatly enhance our partnerships with all the Federal agencies involved.”

“The Carlsbad Police Department looks forward to working with the newly assigned Assistant U.S. Attorney and all our federal law enforcement partners,” said Brandon Skinner, Chief of Police for the City of Carlsbad.  “The presence of the U.S. Attorney's Office in southeastern New Mexico will help us continue to serve those living and working in our community and in our effort to fight crime.”

“Federal prosecution of violent offenders has been, and continues to be, one of the cornerstones in the Artesia Police Department’s successful reduction of violent and drug crime within our community,” said Kirk E. Roberts, Chief of the Artesia Police Department.  “The addition of a full-time federal prosecutor to Roswell will greatly enhance the effectiveness of the federal programs our agency and partners participate in.”

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico is one of 94 U.S. Attorney’s Offices in the United States. The District of New Mexico consists of 33 counties.  The District's main office is located in Albuquerque.  There is a staffed branch office in Las Cruces and an unstaffed branch office in Santa Fe.

An alleged shooter and member of the Barrio Azteca (BA), a transnational border gang allied with the Juarez Cartel, was extradited from Mexico to the United States to face charges related to the March 2010 U.S. Consulate murders in Juarez, Mexico.

Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney John F. Bash for the Western District of Texas, Special Agent in Charge Luis Quesada of the FBI’s El Paso Field Office and Acting Administrator Uttam Dhillon of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) made the announcement.

Jose Guadalupe Diaz Diaz, aka “Zorro,” arrived in the United States yesterday and made his initial appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Anne T. Berton in El Paso, Texas.  Diaz is charged in a 12-count third superseding indictment unsealed in March 2011.  According to court documents and previous trial testimony, Diaz allegedly participated in BA activities, including narcotics trafficking and acts of violence by BA members in Mexico. On March 13, 2010, Diaz allegedly shot and killed U.S. Consulate employee Leslie Ann Enriquez Catton and her husband, Arthur Redelfs.   

A total of 35 BA members and associates based in the U.S. and Mexico were charged in the third superseding indictment for allegedly committing various criminal acts, including racketeering, narcotics distribution and importation, extortion, money laundering, obstruction of justice and murder.  Of the 35 defendants, 10 Mexican nationals, including Diaz, were charged in connection with the murders of Enriquez Catton and Redelfs, as well as Jorge Alberto Salcido Ceniceros, the husband of a U.S. Consulate employee.  If convicted, Diaz faces a maximum penalty of life in prison.

Of the 35 defendants charged, 34 have been apprehended. U.S. and Mexican law enforcement are actively seeking to apprehend the lone fugitive in this case, Luis Mendez.

Twenty-eight of those defendants have pleaded guilty, one was convicted by a jury, one is currently pending trial, one defendant committed suicide while imprisoned during his trial and three others are pending extradition from Mexico.

According to court documents and information presented in court throughout this case, the Barrio Azteca is a violent street and prison gang that began in the late 1980s and expanded into a transnational criminal organization.  In the 2000s, the BA formed an alliance in Mexico with “La Linea,” which is part of the Juarez Drug Cartel (also known as the Vincente Carrillo Fuentes Drug Cartel or “VCF”).  The purpose of the BA-La Linea alliance was to battle the Chapo Guzman Cartel and its allies for control of the drug trafficking routes through Juarez and Chihuahua.  The drug routes through Juarez, known as the Juarez Plaza, are important to drug trafficking organizations because they are a principal illicit drug trafficking conduit into the United States.

The gang has a militaristic command structure and includes captains, lieutenants, sergeants and soldiers – all with the purpose of maintaining power and enriching its members and associates through drug trafficking, money laundering, extortion, intimidation, violence, threats of violence and murder.

Diaz’s extradition is the result of close coordination between U.S. law enforcement and the government of Mexico in the investigation and prosecution of this case.  The cooperation and assistance of the government of Mexico was essential to achieving the successful extradition.   

An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. 

Trial Attorney Christina Taylor of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section, Trial Attorney Jay Alan Bauer of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney John Gibson of the Western District of Texas are prosecuting the case.  The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico and the Criminal Division’s Offices of International Affairs and Enforcement Operations provided significant assistance in this case.

The FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force located at the Texas Anti-Gang Center in El Paso, FBI Albuquerque Field Office (Las Cruces Resident Agency), DEA Juarez and DEA El Paso investigated the case. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Immigration and Customs Enforcement; the U.S. Marshals Service; U.S. Customs and Border Protection; Federal Bureau of Prisons; U.S. Department of State's Diplomatic Security Service; the Texas Department of Public Safety; the Texas Department of Criminal Justice; El Paso Police Department; El Paso County Sheriff’s Office; El Paso Independent School District Police Department; Texas Alcohol and Beverage Commission; New Mexico State Police; Dona Ana County, N.M., Sheriff’s Office; Las Cruces, N.M., Police Department; Southern New Mexico Correctional Facility and Otero County Prison Facility New Mexico provided special assistance.  

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Today, Attorney General William P. Barr announced the launch of Project Guardian, a new initiative designed to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws across the country.  Specifically, Project Guardian focuses on investigating, prosecuting, and preventing gun crimes.

Reducing gun violence and enforcing federal firearms laws have always been among the Department’s highest priorities.  In order to develop a new and robust effort to promote and ensure public safety, the Department reviewed and adapted some of the successes of past strategies to curb gun violence. Project Guardian draws on the Department’s earlier achievements, such as the “Triggerlock” program, and it serves as a complementary effort to the success of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).  In addition, the initiative emphasizes the importance of using all modern technologies available to law enforcement to promote gun crime intelligence.

“Gun crime remains a pervasive problem in too many communities across America. Today, the Department of Justice is redoubling its commitment to tackling this issue through the launch of Project Guardian,” said Attorney General William P. Barr.  “Building on the success of past programs like Triggerlock, Project Guardian will strengthen our efforts to reduce gun violence by allowing the federal government and our state and local partners to better target offenders who use guns in crimes and those who try to buy guns illegally.

“New Mexicans know all too well the devastating toll that gun violence takes on our communities.  We welcome the Attorney General’s ongoing commitment to reducing gun violence, and we look forward to leveraging our existing partnerships amongst federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement to that end,” said U.S. Attorney John C. Anderson for the District of New Mexico.  “This announcement should serve as a warning to those who possess guns illegally, or participate in the unlawful purchase of firearms, that such offenses will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted vigorously.”

“ATF has a long history of strong partnerships in the law enforcement community,” said Acting Director Regina Lombardo. “Make no mistake, the women and men of ATF remain steadfast to our core mission of getting crime guns off of our streets.  ATF and U.S. Attorneys nationwide will leverage these partnerships even further through enhanced community outreach initiatives and coordination with local, state, and tribal law enforcement and prosecutors to cut the pipeline of crime guns from those violent individuals who seek to terrorize our communities. Project Guardian will enhance ATF’s Crime Gun Intelligence, to include identifying, investigating and prosecuting those involved in the straw purchases of firearms, lying on federal firearms transaction forms, and those subject to the mental health prohibition of possessing firearms.” 

Project Guardian’s implementation is based on five principles:

1. Coordinated Prosecution.  Federal prosecutors and law enforcement will coordinate with state, local, and tribal law enforcement and prosecutors to consider potential federal prosecution for new cases involving a defendant who:  a) was arrested in possession of a firearm; b) is believed to have used a firearm in committing a crime of violence or drug trafficking crime prosecutable in federal court; or c) is suspected of actively committing violent crime(s) in the community on behalf of a criminal organization.
    
2. Enforcing the Background Check System. United States Attorneys, in consultation with the Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) in their district, will create new, or review existing, guidelines for intake and prosecution of federal cases involving false statements (including lie-and-try, lie-and-buy, and straw purchasers) made during the acquisition or attempted acquisition of firearms from Federal Firearms Licensees.
    
   Particular emphasis is placed on individuals convicted of violent felonies or misdemeanor crimes of domestic violence, individuals subject to protective orders, and individuals who are fugitives where the underlying offense is a felony or misdemeanor crime of domestic violence; individuals suspected of involvement in criminal organizations or of providing firearms to criminal organizations; and individuals involved in repeat denials.
    
3. Improved Information Sharing.  On a regular basis, and as often as practicable given current technical limitations, ATF will provide to state law enforcement fusion centers a report listing individuals for whom the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) has issued denials, including the basis for the denial, so that state and local law enforcement can take appropriate steps under their laws.
    
4. Coordinated Response to Mental Health Denials.  Each United States Attorney will ensure that whenever there is federal case information regarding individuals who are prohibited from possessing a firearm under the mental health prohibition, such information continues to be entered timely and accurately into the United States Attorneys’ Offices’ case-management system for prompt submission to NICS. ATF should engage in additional outreach to state and local law enforcement on how to use this denial information to better assure public safety. 
    
   Additionally, United States Attorneys will consult with relevant district stakeholders to assess feasibility of adopting disruption of early engagement programs to address mental-health-prohibited individuals who attempt to acquire a firearm.  United States Attorneys should consider, when appropriate, recommending court-ordered mental health treatment for any sentences issued to individuals prohibited based on mental health.
    
5. Crime Gun Intelligence Coordination.  Federal, state, local, and tribal prosecutors and law enforcement will work together to ensure effective use of the ATF’s Crime Gun Intelligence Centers (CGICs), and all related resources, to maximize the use of modern intelligence tools and technology.  These tools can greatly enhance the speed and effectiveness in identifying trigger-pullers and finding their guns, but the success depends in large part on state, local, and tribal law enforcement partners sharing ballistic evidence and firearm recovery data with the ATF.
    

Federal law enforcement represents only about 15% of all law enforcement resources nationwide.  Therefore, partnerships with state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the communities they serve are critical to addressing gun crime.  The Department recognizes that sharing information with our state, local, and tribal law enforcement partners at every level will enhance public safety, and provide a greater depth of resources available to address gun crime on a national level.  For more information on Project Guardian, see the Attorney General’s memorandum at: https://www.justice.gov/ag/project-guardian-memo-2019/download.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – A large-scale, 90-day law enforcement operation, known as “Operation Triple Beam Albuquerque,” concluded on Oct. 31, 2019, with the arrests of 327 alleged fugitives from throughout Bernalillo County and the Albuquerque metropolitan area. 

Led by the U.S. Marshals Southwest Investigative Fugitive Team (SWIFT), multiple federal, state and local law enforcement agencies concentrated their efforts on known violent offenders.

During OTB Albuquerque, SWIFT located and apprehended 327 alleged state, local and federal fugitives, including 59 state probation and parole absconders, 10 individuals wanted for homicide, 20 for weapons offenses, 13 for sex crimes, 50 for assault, and 91 on narcotics charges. In the Santa Fe and Farmington communities, investigators made 92 arrests.

The operation resulted in the seizure of 43 illegal firearms, more than 50 pounds of methamphetamine, four pounds of heroin, and two pounds of cocaine.  In addition, 31 stolen vehicles were recovered and $50,000 was seized.

“I commend the work of the brave men and women of the U.S. Marshals Service on their outstanding execution of Operation Triple Beam, a nationwide effort by the Marshals to target violent, gang-related crime in some of America’s most dangerous cities,” said Attorney General William P. Barr.  “The Marshals are truly America’s fugitive hunters, with a proud tradition dating back to the founding of the United States.  Their unyielding commitment to justice, in partnership with our state and local colleagues, made this initiative a great success.”

“We brought Operation Triple Beam, our mobile gang enforcement platform, to Albuquerque to target the gang-related fugitives fueling the violent crime in the area,” said U.S. Marshals Service Director Donald Washington.  “The U.S. Marshals in the District of New Mexico, along with dedicated inspectors in our Investigative Operations Division, and all of our partner agencies achieved results that illustrate our full commitment to make communities safer by addressing violent crime at its core and taking the worst of the worst off the streets.  The good citizens of New Mexico have our enduring support.”

“The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to working with its law enforcement partners to combat violent crime throughout New Mexico,” said U.S. Attorney John C. Anderson.  “We commend the U.S. Marshals Service for regularly leading multi-agency operations like Triple Beam throughout the state that have made our communities safer by taking hundreds of fugitives off our streets.”

“Operation Triple Beam was an outstanding public safety effort by all personnel involved, and the unified approach for law enforcement resulted in hundreds of arrests, including many for dangerous outstanding warrants. I remain committed to collaborating with local and federal authorities to keep our children, families, and businesses safe,” said Bernalillo County Sheriff Manuel Gonzales III.

OTB Albuquerque Participating Agencies

U.S. Marshals Service

U.S. Attorney’s Office

Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office

New Mexico State Police

New Mexico Division of Probation and Parole

Farmington Police Department

San Juan County Sheriff’s Office

Espanola Police Department

Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office

Albuquerque Police Department

Metropolitan Detention Center

Sandoval County Sheriff’s Office

Rio Rancho Police Department

Second Judicial District Attorney’s Office

New Mexico Attorney General’s Office

Drug Enforcement Administration

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

Homeland Security Investigations

FBI

Links to public imagery

www.usmarshals.gov

OTB Albuquerque Photographs

OTB Albuquerque B-roll Footage

This is the second OTB conducted by the U.S. Marshals in New Mexico this year. OTB Las Cruces concluded April 12, 2019, with the arrest of 154 fugitives throughout Dona Ana County; there were 115 felony arrests within the City of Las Cruces.

OTB provides communities with immediate relief from violent, gang-related crime and targets fugitives who commit violent crime and those who provide them safe harbor. Since the Department of Justice reinvigorated Project Safe Neighborhoods in 2017, U.S. Marshals have launched 33 OTB collaborations of local, state, federal and tribal law enforcement agencies in some of the nation’s most violence-plagued communities, resulting in more than 6,000 arrests, 1,200 firearms confiscations, and the seizure of $1.8 million.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Donovan Young, 22, of Albuquerque, N.M, pleaded guilty this morning in federal court to a felony information charging him with using, carrying and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.  In entering the guilty plea, Young admitted brandishing a firearm while committing a carjacking on Nov. 2, 2018, in Albuquerque. 

Court records reflect that officers of the Albuquerque Police Department and deputies of the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office arrested Young on state charges on Nov. 2, 2018.  Thereafter, on Nov. 5, 2018, Special Agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives arrested Young on a federal criminal complaint that charged him with carjacking and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. 

The criminal complaint charged Young with robbing the carjacking victim in the parking lot of a supermarket on Nov. 2, 2018.  According to the complaint, Young took the victim’s keys, wallet, and cellphone by pointing an AK-type rifle at the victim and telling him that his belongings “aren’t worth your life.”  After Young fled the scene in the victim’s pickup truck, officers located Young at a nearby gas station using a tracking feature for the victim’s phone.  Young sped away when officers tried to arrest him, leading officers on a pursuit through residential neighborhoods reaching speeds more than 100 miles per hour.  Officers arrested Young when he stopped his truck in a mound of dirt and recovered a rifle matching the victim’s description of the firearm used in the crime. The victim identified Young as the man who pointed the rifle at him at the supermarket.

A federal grand jury indicted Young on carjacking and firearms charges on Nov. 28, 2018. 

In his plea agreement, Young admitted using a firearm to commit a carjacking offense in Bernalillo County on Nov. 2, 2018.  Young also admitted threatening the victim, the owner of the vehicle, by pointing a firearm at the victim and demanding that the victim surrender the keys to his vehicle, his wallet and his phone.  Young acknowledged that the victim complied with Young’s demands because he was intimidated by Young’s actions. 

Young has been in federal custody since his arrest on the complaint, and will remain detained pending his sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled.  At sentencing, Young faces a maximum statutory mandatory minimum of seven years and a maximum of life imprisonment. 

This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Albuquerque Police Department, and the Bernalillo County’s Sheriff’s Office.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel A. Hurtado.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Zachariah Stanley Joe, 28, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation who resides in Shiprock, N.M., pleaded guilty this morning in federal court in Albuquerque to a second degree murder charge.  Joe entered the guilty plea pursuant to a plea agreement which the parties agree that Joe should be sentenced to 15 years of imprisonment.

            Joe was arrested and was charged with killing a Navajo man in Shiprock, which is located on the Navajo Indian Reservation in San Juan County, N.M., on Jan. 3, 2019, in a criminal complaint that was filed on Jan. 4, 2019.

            During today’s proceedings, Joe pled guilty to a felony information charging him with second degree murder.  In his plea agreement, Joe admitted that on Jan. 3, 2019, he killed the victim with malice aforethought.  Joe admitted that, while he drinking alcohol, he got into a fight with the victim at a residence in Shiprock.  After locking the victim and another man out of the residence, Joe admitted arming himself with a kitchen knife and going out of the residence where he stabbed the victim, who was unarmed, approximately ten times in his chest, side, and neck.  The victim died shortly thereafter.

            Joe has been in federal custody since his arrest, and will remain detained pending his sentencing hearing.

            The Farmington office of the FBI investigated this case with assistance from the Shiprock office of the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety.  Assistant U.S. Attorney David P. Cowen is prosecuting the case.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Three defendants pleaded guilty on Oct. 15 in federal court to charges of sex trafficking and coercion and enticement to engage in prostitution.

                       Adonis Baker, 35, of Albuquerque, pleaded guilty to sex trafficking of a child.  He admitted meeting “Jane Doe 6,” a teen between the ages of 15 and 18, while in Phoenix between Aug. 15, 2017, and Aug. 17, 2017.  Baker convinced “Jane Doe 6” to get into his car by offering her drugs.  Baker then drove her to Albuquerque, and took her to his apartment where he told her she was to engage in commercial sex acts.  Baker faces a sentence of 14 years in prison based on the terms of his plea agreement. 

                  Inkosi Grandberry, 38, of Albuquerque, pleaded guilty to transportation for prostitution by coercion and enticement.   Grandberry admitted in a plea agreement to committing this offense on June 3, 2015.  Grandberry aided and abetted Adonis Baker in persuading “Jane Doe 1” to travel by automobile from Phoenix to Albuquerque for prostitution.  Grandberry paid for a hotel in Phoenix as part of the offense.  Grandberry faces up to 20 years in prison. 

                       Leotha Williams, 58, of Memphis, Tennessee, also pleaded guilty to transportation for prostitution by coercion and enticement.    Williams admitted in a plea agreement to approaching “Jane Doe 2” with Adonis Baker at a bus stop in Albuquerque between June 2016 and September 2016.  Williams and Baker instructed “Jane Doe 2” to get into a vehicle with them.  They then traveled to Colorado Springs, Colorado, where Williams ensured “Jane Doe 2” engaged in prostitution.  Williams faces 36 months to 60 months in prison under the terms of the plea agreement.  The defendants will be sentenced at a later date to be scheduled by the court.

                       Homeland Security Investigations investigated this case with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Albuquerque Police Department, and the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Letitia Simms and Joseph M. Spindle are prosecuting the case.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Manuel A. Gonzalez, 49, a Mexican national residing in Bosque, New Mexico, appeared in federal court in Las Cruces, New Mexico yesterday for an initial appearance on a criminal complaint charging him with importation of a controlled substance.

            According to the complaint, Gonzalez allegedly drove his pickup truck from Mexico to the Santa Teresa port of entry on October 10, 2019.  Gonzalez allegedly had about nine kilograms of heroin concealed in the tailgate of his truck when U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers inspected his vehicle. 

            Gonzalez is a lawful permanent resident of the United States.  He is currently in custody pending a detention hearing scheduled for October 18.  He faces from ten years to life in prison if convicted of the charged offense.   A criminal complaint is only an accusation.  A defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

            Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case with Customs and Border Protection.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Joni A. Stahl of the Las Cruces Branch Office is prosecuting the case.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Pengyi Li, 33, of Guangdong, China, appeared in federal court on Monday for arraignment on an indictment charging him with two counts of smuggling goods from the United States and two counts of violating the Export Control Reform Act.

            A federal grand jury returned the indictment on August 29.   It accuses Li of committing the offenses between May 30 and August 22.  According to the indictment, Li allegedly attempting to export radiation-hardened drivers and microchips to China without obtaining a license and authorization from the Department of Commerce.  According to a criminal complaint, Li’s illegal conduct allegedly included communicating with an undercover agent in New Mexico.  The complaint also accuses Li of traveling from China to Hawaii to obtain the items and transport them back to China by airplane.  However, the complaint further alleges that law enforcement officers arrested Li before he could leave the United States with the items.

            Li appeared for his arraignment after being transported to New Mexico from Hawaii where agents from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) arrested him on August 22.  He is currently in custody awaiting placement at a halfway house.  Li faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted of the smuggling offense and up to 20 years in prison if convicted of violating export control laws.  An indictment is only an allegation.  A defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty. 

            HSI investigated this case with assistance from the Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security, FBI and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jon Stanford is prosecuting the case.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Aaron Tyler Stroud, 38, of Las Cruces, New Mexico, made his initial appearance in federal court in Las Cruces on Wednesday on a criminal complaint charging him with impersonating an officer of the United States. 

            According to the complaint, Stroud allegedly committed the offense in Doña Ana County, N.M., on September 29, 2019.  He allegedly approached officers from the Las Cruces Police Department who were responding to a call from dispatch.  Stroud allegedly provided the officers with a false name and told them he was a member of the U.S. Marshals Service from the El Paso sector.  Stroud allegedly claimed he regularly patrolled the area.  He was allegedly wearing a t-shirt with “U.S. Marshal” written on it and carrying a gun, radio, and badge with a six-point star.   

            Stroud is currently in custody awaiting preliminary and detention hearings scheduled for October 7.   He faces up to three years in prison.  A criminal complaint is only an accusation.  A defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

            The U.S. Marshals Service investigated this case with the FBI and Las Cruces Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Joni Stahl of the Las Cruces Branch Office is prosecuting the case.

 

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Angel DeLeon, 41, a Mexican national, made his initial appearance in federal court in Albuquerque, New Mexico today after being extradited from Mexico on a  racketeering charge involving alleged violent criminal conduct by the Syndicato de Nuevo Mexico (SNM) prison gang.

            DeLeon was one of 30 defendants charged in an indictment and two superseding indictments alleging the defendants violated federal racketeering and other laws by committing various crimes as members, prospects, and associates of SNM, a racketeering enterprise.  According to these indictments, SNM is a powerful and violent prison gang formed soon after a deadly riot at the Penitentiary of New Mexico in 1980.  SNM has allegedly controlled drug distribution and other illegal activities within the New Mexico prison system and engaged in street-level narcotics trafficking. 

            In particular, a second superseding indictment returned by a federal grand jury on March 9, 2017, accused DeLeon and four co-defendants of allegedly participated in the murder of a person identified as “F.C.” for the purpose of gaining entrance to and maintaining and increasing their positions with SNM. 

                       DeLeon is currently in custody pending a detention hearing scheduled to be scheduled for next week.  He faces up to life in prison if convicted of the charged offense.   An indictment is only an allegation and a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.  All of the other defendants charged in the indictments have either proceeded to trial or pleaded guilty.

            The Albuquerque Division of the FBI investigated this case with the New Mexico Corrections Department and the New Mexico State Police.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys from the Las Cruces Branch Office are prosecuting the case.

The complaint further alleges Padilla committed the third bank robbery in Santa Fe on September 26.  Padilla allegedly received money from a teller after presenting a demand note.  

            The FBI arrested Padilla yesterday in Santa Fe.  He is currently in custody awaiting preliminary and detention hearings scheduled for tomorrow.  Padilla faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted.  A criminal complaint is only an accusation.  A defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.      

            The FBI investigated this case with assistance from the Espanola Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Eva Fontanez is prosecuting the case.