District of New Mexico
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Navajo Woman Sentenced for Federal Child Abuse ConvictionRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Sho’Nee Ganadonegro, 26, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation who resides in Albuquerque, N.M., was sentenced today in federal court to three years of probation for her conviction on a child abuse charge. Ganadonegro was also ordered to complete substance abuse counseling and childcare classes, and to refrain from the use of alcohol.
Ganadonegro was arrested in Jan. 2016, on an indictment charging her with engaging in child abuse by operating a motor vehicle recklessly on Nov. 1, 2015, in Indian Country in Cibola County, N.M.
On Jan. 3, 2017, Ganadonegro entered a guilty plea to the indictment. In entering the guilty plea, Ganadonegro admitted that on Nov. 1, 2015, she operated a motor vehicle recklessly within Laguna Pueblo while under the influence of alcohol. Ganadonegro admitted that her actions endangered the lives and health of the four Indian children who were passengers in the vehicle.
This case was investigated by the Laguna/Acoma Agency of the BIA’s Office of Justice Services and the Laguna Pueblo Tribal Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Spindle prosecuted the case.
Mescalero Apache Man Sentenced for Federal Involuntary Manslaughter ConvictionRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Paul Raymond Garcia, 20, an enrolled member of the Mescalero Apache Nation who resides in Mescalero, N.M., was sentenced today in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M., to 27 months in prison for his conviction on an involuntary manslaughter charge. Garcia will be on supervised release for three years after completing his prison sentence.
Garcia was arrested in Jan. 2016, on a criminal complaint charging him with involuntary manslaughter. According to the complaint, Garcia killed a Mescalero Apache woman when he crashed his vehicle on March 23, 2015, on the Mescalero Apache Indian Reservation in Otero County, N.M. At the time of the crash, Garcia was driving under the influence of alcohol. Garcia was subsequently indicted on the same charge on June 22, 2016.
On Nov. 16, 2016, Garcia pled guilty to the indictment and admitted killing the victim by driving recklessly while under the influence of alcohol. Garcia acknowledged that the alcohol rendered him incapable of exercising clear judgment and a steady hand in operating the vehicle.
This case was investigated by the Mescalero Agency of the BIA’s Office of Justice Services and the New Mexico State Police and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron O. Jordan of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office.
Former Supervisor at the Laguna Pueblo Superette Sentenced for Federal Embezzlement ConvictionRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Marshall J. Cheromiah, the former supervisor at the Laguna Pueblo Superette, was sentenced today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to three months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for embezzling funds belonging to the Pueblo of Laguna. Cheromiah was also ordered to pay $21,758 in restitution to the Laguna Development Corporation and to perform 40 hours of community service.
Cheromiah, 32, of Mesita, N.M., was charged in an indictment filed on Nov. 5, 2015, with embezzling approximately $48,953.47 from the Pueblo of Laguna. According to the indictment, Cheromiah was working as an employee or agent of an Indian Tribal Organization when he committed the crime between July 2013 and Oct. 2014, in Cibola County, N.M.
On Feb. 7, 2017, Cheromiah pled guilty to the indictment. In entering the guilty plea, Cheromiah acknowledged that from July 2013 through Oct. 2014, he was employed as a supervisor at the Laguna Pueblo Superette, which is owned by the Laguna Development Corporation and the Pueblo of Laguna. Cheromiah admitted that while he was employed at the Laguna Pueblo Superette, he embezzled approximately $48,953.47 belonging to the Pueblo of Laguna.
Court filings indicate that Cheromiah was responsible for supervising the operation of the ATM machine and ordering cash deliveries from the Bank of Albuquerque for stocking the ATM with cash. In his plea agreement, Cheromiah admitted that, when the Bank delivered cash for the ATM, he would skim or siphon approximately $10,000 or $20,000 for himself, which he used for gambling, paying off loans for friends, and a pleasure trip to Las Vegas, Nevada.
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the FBI and the Laguna Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul H. Spiers prosecuted the case.
El Paso Men Sentenced to Prison for Federal Cocaine Trafficking Convictions in New MexicoRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Two residents of El Paso, Tex., were sentenced in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M., for convictions arising out of the seizure of six kilograms (13.2 pounds) of cocaine at a U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint near Alamogordo, N.M., in Oct. 2016. Ever Omar Valdez, 26, was sentenced to 33 months in prison and his co-defendant Javier Cruz, 27, was sentenced yesterday to 33 months in prison. Each will serve a two year term of supervised release after completing their prison sentences.
Valdez and Cruz were arrested in Oct. 2016, on a criminal complaint charging them with possessing approximately six kilograms of cocaine in Otero County, N.M. According to the complaint, Valdez and Cruz were arrested on Oct. 6, 2016, after U.S. Border Patrol agents at the U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint near Alamogordo seized approximately six kilograms of cocaine that was concealed in the vehicle in which Valdez and Cruz were traveling.
On Jan. 11, 2017, Valdez and Cruz each entered guilty pleas to a felony information charging them with conspiracy to possess cocaine with intent to distribute. Valdez and Cruz each admitted that on Oct. 6, 2016, they entered the U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint on Highway 54 in a vehicle containing six kilograms of cocaine concealed inside the vehicle’s rear bumper, which was found by Border Patrol agents during a routine inspection. Valdez and Cruz admitted knowing that the cocaine was in the vehicle and that they intended to deliver the cocaine to others in exchange for money.
This case was investigated by the Las Cruces office of the DEA and the U.S. Border Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Clara N. Cobos of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office prosecuted the case.
Another Albuquerque Drug Trafficker Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Devell Devoual, 35, of Albuquerque, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court to a methamphetamine trafficking charge under a plea agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office
Devoual and co-defendants Dwayne Cunningham, 49, and Cedric Laneham, 39, were charged as the result of an ATF-led investigation that resulted in the filing of 59 federal indictments and a federal criminal complaint charging 104 Bernalillo County residents with federal firearms and narcotics trafficking offenses. The investigation began in mid-April 2016, when ATF personnel from throughout the country joined forces with federal, state, county and local law enforcement agencies in New Mexico to combat the high rate of violent crime in the Albuquerque metropolitan area. The investigators utilized a number of investigative techniques, including undercover operations, historical investigation and targeting of multi-convicted felons in possession of firearms.
The investigation was undertaken in support of a federal anti-violence initiative that targets “the worst of the worst” offenders for federal prosecution. Under this initiative, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and federal law enforcement agencies collaborate with New Mexico’s District Attorneys and state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to target violent or repeat offenders for federal prosecution primarily based on their prior criminal convictions with the goal of removing repeat offenders from communities in New Mexico for as long as possible.
Devoual and his co-defendants were arrested in July 2016, on an indictment charging them with conspiring to distribute methamphetamine between May 16, 2016 and June 2, 2016. The indictment also charged Devoual and Laneham with distributing methamphetamine on May 17, 2016; and Devoual and Cunningham with possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute on June 2, 2016. According to the indictment, the defendants committed the offenses in Bernalillo County, N.M.
During today’s proceedings, Devoual pled guilty to an information charging him with distribution of methamphetamine and admitted distributing more than 50 grams of methamphetamine on May 17, 2016. At sentencing, Devoual faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. He remains in custody pending a sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled.
To date, 51 of the 104 defendants have entered guilty pleas, including Cunningham, and 18 have been sentenced. The remaining defendants, including Laneham, have entered not guilty pleas. Charges in indictments are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent unless found guilty in a court of law.
These cases were investigated by the Albuquerque office of ATF. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David M. Walsh and Norman Cairns.
Mescalero Apache Man Sentenced to 81 Months for Federal Sexual Abuse ConvictionRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Darwin Neal Kinzhuma, 52, an enrolled member of the Mescalero Apache Nation who resides in Mescalero, N.M., was sentenced today in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M., to 81 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for his conviction on a sexual abuse charge. Kinzhuma will also be required to register as a sex offender when he completes his prison sentence.
Kinzhuma was arrested on March 23, 2016, on a criminal complaint charging him with sexually abusing a Mescalero Apache woman on June 28, 2015, on the Mescalero Apache Indian Reservation in Otero County, N.M. Kinzhuma was subsequently indicted on the same charge on Aug. 17, 2016.
On Dec. 21, 2017, Kinzhuma pled guilty to the indictment charging him with aggravated sexual abuse. In entering the guilty plea, Kinzhuma admitted that on June 28, 2015, he sexually abused the victim on the Mescalero Apache Indian Reservation.
This case was investigated by the Mescalero Agency of the BIA’s Office of Justice Services and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron O. Jordan of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office.
The case was brought pursuant to the Tribal Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (Tribal SAUSA) Pilot Project in the District of New Mexico which is sponsored by the Justice Department’s Office on Violence Against Women under a grant administered by the Pueblo of Laguna. The Tribal SAUSA Pilot Project seeks to train tribal prosecutors in federal law, procedure and investigative techniques to increase the likelihood that every viable violent offense against Native women is prosecuted in either federal court or tribal court, or both. The Tribal SAUSA Pilot Project was largely driven by input gathered from annual tribal consultations on violence against women, and is another step in the Justice Department's on-going efforts to increase engagement, coordination and action on public safety in tribal communities.
Lea County Felon Sentenced to Prison for Unlawfully Possessing Firearms and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Lewis Templeton, 62, of Eunice, N.M., was sentenced this afternoon in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M., to 46 months in prison followed by two years of supervised release for violating the federal firearms laws.
Templeton was arrested on May 4, 2016, on a criminal complaint charging him with possessing an unregistered firearm and being a felon in possession of a firearm on Nov. 3, 2015, in Lea County, N.M. According to the complaint, on Nov. 3, 2015, law enforcement officers found two rifles and ammunition while executing a search warrant at Templeton’s residence. A search of the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record (NFRTR) confirmed that one of the firearms, a sawed-off rifle, was not registered with the NFRTR.
According to court documents, Templeton was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because he previously had been convicted of a number of felony offenses. Templeton’s criminal history includes a conviction for conspiracy to possess methamphetamine with intent to distribute.
On Sept. 26, 2016, Templeton pled guilty to a felony information charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm. In entering the guilty plea, Templeton admitted that on Nov. 3 2015, he possessed two firearms and ammunition even though he was prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition because of his status as a convicted felon.
This case was investigated by the Las Cruces office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with assistance from the 5th Judicial District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luis A. Martinez of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office prosecuted the case.
Albuquerque Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Child Pornography ConvictionRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Paul Keenahan, 45, of Albuquerque, N.M., was sentenced on Friday afternoon, May 19, 2017, in federal court to 60 months in prison followed by 15 years of supervised release for his conviction on child pornography charges. Keenhan also was ordered to pay $11,000 in restitution to the victims of his crimes. Keenahan will also be required to register as a sex offender when he completes his prison sentence.
Keenahan was arrested in Sept. 2015, on a criminal complaint charging him with distributing child pornography in Bernalillo County, N.M. According to court filings, the investigation into began in July 2015, when the New Mexico Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force received a tip about an IP address that was being used to share child pornography. Investigation revealed that the IP address was subscribed to a motel on Candelaria Road NE in Albuquerque, where it was being used by , who was then employed by and living at the motel.
Law enforcement officers executed a state search warrant at Keenahan’s home on July 23, 2015, and seized a laptop computer containing files consistent with child pornography. Keenahan was arrested on state charges that day. A forensic examination of Keenahan’s laptop computer revealed that it contained more than 10,000 files of child pornography.
Keenahan was indicted on Oct. 7, 2015, and charged with three counts of distribution of child pornography and three counts of possession of child pornography.
On Nov. 2, 2016, Keenahan pled guilty to three counts of possession of child pornography. In entering the guilty plea, Keenahan admitted that from Feb. 14, 2012 through July 23, 2015, he possessed electronic devices containing visual depictions of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Keenahan further admitted the following:
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From Nov. 2014 through July 2015, he possessed a computer containing approximately 1,010 video files and 8,949 images of child pornography;
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From Aug. 2014 through July 2015, he possessed an external hard drive that contained approximately 58 video files and 1,530 images of child pornography; and
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From Feb. 2012 through July 2015, he possessed six DVDs containing approximately 170 videos and images of child pornography.
This case was investigated by the New Mexico ICAC Task Force, Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office, Albuquerque office of the FBI, Office of the New Mexico Attorney General, the U.S. Marshals Service and the New Mexico Regional Computer Forensic Laboratory with assistance from the 2nd Judicial District Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Mease prosecuted the case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and DOJ’s Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/.
The case also was brought as a part of the New Mexico ICAC Task Force’s mission, which is to locate, track, and capture Internet child sexual predators and Internet child pornographers in New Mexico. There are 86 federal, state and local law enforcement agencies associated with the New Mexico ICAC Task Force, which is funded by a grant administered by the New Mexico Office of the Attorney General. Anyone with information relating to suspected child predators and suspected child abuse is encouraged to contact federal or local law enforcement.
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Albuquerque Man Pleads Guilty to Illegally Possessing Firearm While Under a Domestic Violence Restraining OrderRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Daniel Arushanov, 24, of Albuquerque, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court to possession of a firearm while under a domestic violence restraining order.
Arushanov was arrested in Jan. 2017, on a criminal complaint charging him with being a prohibited person in possession of firearms and ammunition on Nov. 9, 2016, in Bernalillo County, N.M. According to the complaint, on that day, University of New Mexico (UNM) police officers arrested Arushanov for carrying a firearm and ammunition while on the UNM campus. Court documents indicate that a routine check of criminal and judicial databases revealed that in Nov. 2016, Arushanov was the subject of an order of protection issued by the Superior Court of California in Sacrament County, Calif., on Sept. 15, 2015, to protect Arushanov’s former wife and her immediate family members.
Arushanov was indicted on Feb. 7, 2017, and charged with two counts of possession of firearms and ammunition while under a domestic violence restraining order. According to the indictment, the restraining order explicitly prohibited Arushanov from possessing firearms or ammunition.
During today’s proceedings, Arushanov pled guilty to one count of possession of a firearm while under a domestic violence restraining order. In entering the guilty plea, Arushanov admitted that on Nov. 9, 2016, he possessed a firearm and ammunition while he was subject to a court order that restrained Arushanov from harassing, stalking or threatening an intimate partner.
At sentencing, Arushanov faces a maximum penalty of ten years in federal prison. Arushanov remains in custody pending a sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the FBI and the UNM Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney George C. Kraehe is prosecuting the case.
Three Albuquerque Residents Charged with Operating Sex Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Acting U.S. Attorney James D. Tierney, Special Agent in Charge Waldemar Rodriguez of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in El Paso, Texas, and Chief Gorden E. Eden, Jr., of the Albuquerque Police Department announced the indictment of three residents of Albuquerque, N.M., on commercial sex trafficking offenses.
The indictment charges Cornelius Galloway, 34, Danielle Galloway, 43, and Matthew Woods, 28, with conspiracy, commercial sex trafficking and commercial sex trafficking of a minor. Cornelius Galloway and Danielle Galloway were arrested on May 17, 2017. Danielle Galloway made her initial appearance yesterday and was arraigned on the indictment this morning, entering a not guilty plea. Danielle Galloway was ordered detained pending trial during this morning’s proceedings. Cornelius Galloway made his initial appearance this morning in federal court and remains detained pending arraignment and detention hearings scheduled for May 22, 2017. Woods is in state custody on unrelated state charges; he will be transferred to federal custody for an arraignment hearing scheduled on May 30, 2017.
The four-count indictment charges the Galloways and Woods with participating in a conspiracy to engage in commercial sex trafficking by using force, threats, fraud and coercion. It also charges the three defendants with commercial sex trafficking and commercial sex trafficking of a minor. Woods also is charged with attempting to recruit a victim to engage in a commercial sex act. The Galloways and Woods allegedly committed the crimes charged in Bernalillo County, N.M., between Oct. 2016 and May 2017.
According to the indictment, the three defendants were members of a criminal sex trafficking organization allegedly led by Cornelius Galloway. The indictment alleges that Cornelius Galloway and Danielle Galloway promoted the organization’s commercial sex services by advertising on various websites between Oct. 2016 and May 2017. The indictment further alleges that the defendants forced a victim to engage in commercial sex acts from Oct. 2016 to Nov. 2016, and employed a minor victim to work as a prostitute for a two-week period in March and April 2017, for the financial benefit of the organization.
The indictment also alleges that members of the conspiracy murdered two individuals to further the objectives of the criminal sex trafficking organization. According to the indictment, two members of the conspiracy, identified as John Doe 1 and John Doe 2, murdered a victim, identified as D.Y., on Jan. 15, 2017. John Doe 1 also allegedly murdered a second victim, identified as T.S. on that same day. The victims allegedly were murdered at the direction of Cornelius Galloway because their activities were contrary to the objectives of the criminal sex trafficking organization.
If convicted of the crimes charged in the indictment, Cornelius Galloway, Danielle Galloway and Woods each face a statutory mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years and a maximum penalty of life in prison. Charges in indictment are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent unless found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Albuquerque Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Norman Cairns.
Isleta Pueblo Man Pleads Guilty to Assaulting Indian Woman and a Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Jonathan Abeita, 23, an enrolled member of the Isleta Pueblo who resides in Albuquerque, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court to assault charges, including an assault on a federal officer charge. The plea agreement recommends that Abeita be sentenced to 17 months of imprisonment followed by a term of supervised release to be determined by the court.
Abeita was arrested on March 8, 2017, on an indictment charging him with assault resulting in serious bodily injury and assault on a federal officer. According to the indictment, Abeita committed the crimes on Aug. 13, 2016, on Isleta Pueblo in Valencia County, N.M.
During today’s proceedings, Abeita pled guilty to the indictment. In his plea agreement, Abeita admitted that on Aug. 13, 2016, he assaulted one victim, an Indian woman, by threatening her and punching her, causing her bottom teeth to become loose. Abeita also admitted that when tribal police officers responded to a call from the victim, he assaulted a tribal police officer who was commissioned as a Special Federal Officer by the BIA with a hatchet. Abeita remains in custody pending a sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by the Isleta Pueblo Tribal Police Department and is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Lucy B. Solimon as part of the Tribal Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (Tribal SAUSA) Pilot Project in the District of New Mexico, which is sponsored by the Justice Department’s Office on Violence Against Women under a grant administered by the Pueblo of Laguna. The Tribal SAUSA Pilot Project seeks to train tribal prosecutors in federal law, procedure and investigative techniques to increase the likelihood that every viable violent offense against Native American women is prosecuted in either federal court or tribal court, or both. The Tribal SAUSA Pilot Project was largely driven by input gathered from annual tribal consultations on violence against women, and is another step in the Justice Department's on-going efforts to increase engagement, coordination and action on public safety in tribal communities.
Arizona Woman Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug Trafficking Charge Arising Out of Seizure of Five Pounds of HeroinRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Tabitha Marie Ochoa, 29, of Nogales, Ariz., pled guilty today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to a heroin trafficking charge.
Tabitha Marie Ochoa and co-defendant Maryhelen Princess Ochoa, 32, also of Nogales, Ariz., were arrested in Feb. 2017, after law enforcement officers found nine bundles of heroin weighing 2387 grams (5.26 pounds) in their vehicle during a routine traffic stop. According to the complaint, the traffic stop took place on Jan. 30 and 31, 2017, in Cibola County, N.M.
During today’s proceedings, Tabitha Marie Ochoa pled guilty to an information charging her with possession of heroin with intent to distribute. In entering the guilty plea, Tabitha Marie Ochoa admitted possessing the heroin seized from the vehicle in which she was traveling on Jan. 31, 2017. Tabitha Marie Ochoa admitted that she was being paid to deliver the heroin to another person.
At sentencing, Tabitha Marie Ochoa faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. She remains in custody pending a sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled.
Maryhelen Princess Ochoa remains in custody pending presentation of the case against her to a grand jury. Charges in criminal complaints are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent unless found guilty in a court of law.
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of Homeland Security Investigations and the New Mexico State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elaine Y. Ramirez is prosecuting this case as part of the New Mexico Heroin and Opioid Prevention and Education (HOPE) Initiative. The HOPE Initiative was launched in January 2015 by the UNM Health Sciences Center and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in response to the national opioid epidemic, which has had a disproportionately devastating impact on New Mexico. Opioid addiction has taken a toll on public safety, public health and the economic viability of our communities. Working in partnership with the DEA, the Bernalillo County Opioid Accountability Initiative, Healing Addiction in our Community (HAC), the Albuquerque Public Schools and other community stakeholders, HOPE’s principal goals are to protect our communities from the dangers associated with heroin and opioid painkillers and reducing the number of opioid-related deaths in New Mexico.
The HOPE Initiative is comprised of five components: (1) prevention and education; (2) treatment; (3) law enforcement; (4) reentry; and (5) strategic planning. HOPE’s law enforcement component is led by the Organized Crime Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the DEA in conjunction with their federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement partners. Targeting members of major heroin and opioid trafficking organizations for investigation and prosecution is a priority of the HOPE Initiative. Learn more about the New Mexico HOPE Initiative at http://www.HopeInitiativeNM.org.
Albuquerque Felon Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug Trafficking and Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Carlos Vasquez, 47, of Albuquerque, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court to drug trafficking and firearms charges under a plea agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office
Vasquez was arrested during an ATF-led investigation that resulted in the filing of 59 federal indictments and a federal criminal complaint charging 104 Bernalillo County residents with federal firearms and narcotics trafficking offenses. The investigation began in mid-April 2016, when ATF personnel from throughout the country joined forces with federal, state, county and local law enforcement agencies in New Mexico to combat the high rate of violent crime in the Albuquerque metropolitan area. The investigators utilized a number of investigative techniques, including undercover operations, historical investigation and targeting of multi-convicted felons in possession of firearms.
The investigation was undertaken in support of a federal anti-violence initiative that targets “the worst of the worst” offenders for federal prosecution. Under this initiative, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and federal law enforcement agencies collaborate with New Mexico’s District Attorneys and state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to target violent or repeat offenders for federal prosecution primarily based on their prior criminal convictions with the goal of removing repeat offenders from communities in New Mexico for as long as possible.
Vasquez was charged in a three-count indictment filed on June 14, 2016, with distribution of cocaine and methamphetamine on May 26, 2016 and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition on June 1, 2016. According to the indictment, Vasquez committed the crimes in Bernalillo County. In June 2016, Vasquez was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because he previously had been convicted of aggravated battery on a household member, attempted armed robbery, and abandonment or abuse of a child.
During today’s proceedings, Vasquez pled guilty to possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. In entering the guilty plea, Vasquez admitted that on May 26, 2016, he sold methamphetamine to an individual working with law enforcement. Vasquez also admitted that on June 1, 2016, he gave a firearm and ammunition to an undercover law enforcement agent. Vasquez acknowledged that he was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because of his status as a convicted felon.
At sentencing, Vasquez faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. Vasquez remains in custody pending a sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled.
To date, 50 of the 104 defendants have entered guilty pleas, and 18 have been sentenced. The remaining defendants have entered not guilty pleas. Charges in indictments are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent unless found guilty in a court of law.
These cases were investigated by the Albuquerque office of ATF. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eva Fontanez.
DEA Launches “360 Strategy” in Albuquerque to Address Heroin and Prescription Opioid Epidemic and Related CrimeRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE - The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) today announced that Albuquerque, N.M., has been selected as the seventh pilot city to be part of the DEA’s comprehensive law enforcement and prevention “360 Strategy” to help cities dealing with the heroin and prescription opioid abuse epidemic and crime associated with drug trafficking and abuse. Assistant Special Agent in Charge Sean R. Waite of the DEA Albuquerque District Office made the announcement during a press conference at the Boys and Girls Club of New Mexico in Albuquerque.
Acting U.S. Attorney James D. Tierney and Executive Vice Chancellor Richard Larson of the UNM Health Sciences Center, partners in the New Mexico Heroin and Opioid Prevention and Education (HOPE) Initiative, Bernalillo County Commissioner Maggie Hart Stebbins, City Councilor Diane Gibson, Executive Director Jennifer Weiss-Burke of Healing Addiction in our Community, and representatives of other community stakeholders joined Assistant Special Agent in Charge Waite in launching the DEA 360 Strategy in Albuquerque and Bernalillo County.
“This comprehensive strategy leverages and expands existing federal, state and local partnerships, including the HOPE Initiative, to address New Mexico’s opioid epidemic on several different fronts – law enforcement, prescription drug control, drug education, prevention and treatment,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Waite.
The DEA 360 Strategy responds to the heroin and prescription opioid epidemic with an innovative three-pronged approach to combating heroin and opioid use through: (1) coordinated law enforcement action targeting all levels of drug trafficking organizations; (2) engaging drug manufacturers, practitioners and pharmacists to increase awareness of the opioid epidemic and encourage responsible prescribing practices throughout the medical community; and (3) community outreach and partnerships to equip and empower communities to fight the opioid epidemic. DEA first rolled out the 360 Strategy in Nov. 2015 in Pittsburgh, Penn. Albuquerque is the seventh city selected to participate in the Strategy.
The first component of the DEA 360 Strategy is premised on DEA’s traditional enforcement model that targets cartels and drug distributors who fuel the heroin and prescription opioid epidemic in our communities. In Albuquerque, DEA will continue to execute the enforcement component by relying and expanding on its many law enforcement partnerships. While law enforcement plays a central role in the 360 Strategy, DEA recognizes that enforcement actions alone are not enough to make lasting changes in our communities.
The second component of the DEA 360 Strategy involves collaboration with healthcare providers and health organizations to facilitate discussions and develop solutions to prevent prescription opioid abuse, which continues to drive our devastating heroin epidemic. National studies reveal that 80% of all new heroin users started their addictions with prescription painkillers and national statistics show that more than 35,000 people die every year as the result of heroin or prescription opioid overdoses. The 360 Strategy focuses on preventing pharmaceutical drug diversion by providing education and training within the medical and pharmaceutical community.
The third component of the Strategy seeks to enable communities to find long-term solutions to their drug problems by expanding and leveraging partnerships, both nationally and locally, in drug education, drug prevention and drug treatment. Drug education and prevention efforts are supremely important because they give us the tools and knowledge to remain drug free. DEA and its community partners will form a community alliance comprised of leaders from law enforcement, prevention and treatment advocates, the judicial system, education, business, government, civic organizations, faith communities, media, social services and others, will help carry the important prevention and treatment messages to the Albuquerque and Bernalillo County community.
DEA and the HOPE Initiative partners will work with the Justice Department’s Violence Reduction Network, U.S. Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Centers for Disease Control, Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA), Partnership for Drug-Free Kids, Healing Addiction in our Community (HAC), Boys and Girls Club of New Mexico, the National Guard, the City of Albuquerque, Bernalillo County, Albuquerque Public Schools, the Elks Club and many other community stakeholders under the DEA 360 Strategy to turn the tide on the prescription opioid and heroin epidemic and the tragedy it brings to Albuquerque and Bernalillo County.
The DEA 360 Strategy augments DEA’s active and continuing participation in the HOPE Initiative, which was launched in Jan. 2015 by the UNM Health Sciences Center and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in response to the national opioid epidemic that has had a disproportionately devastating impact on New Mexico. Opioid addiction has taken a toll on public safety, public health and the economic viability of our communities. Working in partnership with the DEA, Bernalillo County, the City of Albuquerque, Healing Addiction in our Community and other community stakeholders, HOPE’s principal goals are to protect our communities from the dangers associated with heroin and opioid painkillers and reducing the number of opioid-related deaths in New Mexico. The HOPE Initiative is comprised of five components: (1) prevention and education; (2) treatment; (3) law enforcement; (4) reentry; and (5) strategic planning.
Learn more about the 360 Strategy at https://www.dea.gov/prevention/360-strategy/360-strategy.shtml. Learn more about the New Mexico HOPE Initiative at http://www.HopeInitiativeNM.org.
Owner of Sunland Park Smoke Shop Pleads Guilty to Selling Drug ParaphernaliaRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Brenda Riveroll, 36, of El Paso, Texas, pled guilty today in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M., to selling drug paraphernalia. The plea agreement recommends that Riveroll be sentenced to a five-year term of probation.
Riveroll was arrested on April 3, 2017, on an indictment charging her with selling drug paraphernalia. The indictment charged Riveroll with selling drug paraphernalia on May 3, 2016, and offering to sell drug paraphernalia on May 12, 2016. According to the indictment, Riveroll committed the crimes in Dona Ana County, N.M.
During today’s change of plea hearing, Riveroll pled guilty to the indictment. In her plea agreement, Riveroll acknowledged that she was the owner and sole employee of “The Smoke Shop,” located on Palomas Court in Sunland Park, N.M. Riveroll admitted that on May 3, 2016, she sold two pipes, designed for and intended for use in smoking marijuana, to undercover law enforcement officers. Riveroll also admitted that on May 3, 2016, and May 12, 2016, she had a large inventory of drug paraphernalia for sale at her place of business. The plea agreement states that on May 12, 2016, law enforcement officers searched “The Smoke Shop” and seized 1,409 assorted smoking instruments, including bongs, glass pipes and metal pipes, 80 grinders for grinding marijuana, and five scales for weighing controlled substances. Riveroll admitted knowing that the merchandise she sold and offered for sale at “The Smoke Shop” was likely to be used with illegal drugs.
This case was investigated by the Las Cruces office of the DEA and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brock E. Taylor of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office.
MEDIA ADVISORY-- DEA to Hold Press Conference to Announce New Strategy to Address Heroin and Prescription Drug Epidemic and Related Crime in Bernalillo CountyRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Assistant Special Agent in Charge Sean R. Waite of the DEA Albuquerque District Office will hold a press conference at 11:00 a.m., Wednesday, May 17, 2017, to announce the launch of DEA’s 360 Strategy in Albuquerque, N.M. DEA’s 360 Strategy is an innovative approach to help cities deal with the heroin and prescription drug epidemic and its associated crime. Albuquerque is the seventh city selected to participate in the 360 Strategy. Acting U.S. Attorney James D. Tierney and Executive Vice Chancellor Richard Larson of the UNM Health Sciences Center, partners in the New Mexico Heroin and Opioid Prevention and Education (HOPE) Initiative, Bernalillo County Commissioner Maggie Hart Stebbins, City Councilor Diane E. Gibson, Executive Director Jennifer Weiss-Burke of Healing Addiction in our Community, and representatives of other community stakeholders will join Assistant Special Agent in Charge Waite in making the announcement.
WHO:
Assistant Special Agent in Charge Sean R. Waite, DEA Albuquerque District Office
Acting U.S. Attorney James D. Tierney
Executive Vice Chancellor Richard Larson, UNM Health Sciences Center
Bernalillo County Commissioner Maggie Hart Stebbins, District 3
City Councilor Diane E. Gibson, District 7
Executive Director Jennifer Weiss-Burke, Healing Addiction in our Community
Tim Sheahan, President/CEO, Boys and Girls Club of New Mexico
Susan McKee, Manager, Prevention/Intervention Counselors, Albuquerque Public Schools
Jack Ming, District Drug Awareness Chairman, New Mexico Elks Organization
Carlton Hall, Deputy Director Training & Technical Assistance, CADCA
Lt. Colonel Gabriel Vargas, New Mexico National Guard
Deputy Chief Eric Garcia, Albuquerque Police Department
Under Sheriff Greg Rees, Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office
WHEN:
WEDNESDAY, MAY 17, 2017, 11:00 A.M.
WHERE:
Boys and Girls Club of New Mexico
3333 Truman Ave. NE
Albuquerque, N.M., 87110
OPEN PRESS
NOTE: All media must present valid media credentials. Media may begin to arrive at 10:30 a.m. Inquiries regarding logistics should be directed to Alyssa Ferda at 505-224-1480 or [email protected].
DEA’s 360 Strategy responds to the heroin and prescription opioid epidemic with an innovative three-pronged approach to combating heroin and opioid use through: (1) coordinated law enforcement action targeting all levels of drug trafficking organizations; (2) engaging drug manufacturers, practitioners and pharmacists to increase awareness of the opioid epidemic and encourage responsible prescribing practices throughout the medical community; and (3) community outreach and partnerships to equip and empower communities to fight the opioid epidemic. DEA first rolled out the 360 Strategy in Nov. 2015 in Pittsburgh; Albuquerque, N.M., is the seventh city selected to participate in the Strategy. Learn more about the 360 Strategy at https://www.dea.gov/prevention/360-strategy/360-strategy.shtml.
The 360 Strategy augments DEA’s active and continuing participation in the HOPE Initiative, which was launched in Jan. 2015 by the UNM Health Sciences Center and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in response to the national opioid epidemic that has had a disproportionately devastating impact on New Mexico. Opioid addiction has taken a toll on public safety, public health and the economic viability of our communities. Working in partnership with the DEA, Bernalillo County, the City of Albuquerque, Healing Addiction in our Community and other community stakeholders, HOPE’s principal goals are to protect our communities from the dangers associated with heroin and opioid painkillers and reducing the number of opioid-related deaths in New Mexico. The HOPE Initiative is comprised of five components: (1) prevention and education; (2) treatment; (3) law enforcement; (4) reentry; and (5) strategic planning. Learn more about the New Mexico HOPE Initiative at http://www.HopeInitiativeNM.org.
Deming Woman Sentenced to Prison for Federal Methamphetamine Trafficking ConvictionRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Erika Jimenez, 31, of Deming, N.M., was sentenced Friday, May 12, 2017, in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M., to 33 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for her methamphetamine trafficking conviction.
Jimenez was arrested on July 17, 2016, on an indictment charging her with distribution of methamphetamine on July 22, 2015, and Nov. 9, 2015, in Luna County, N.M. The indictment included forfeiture provisions requiring Jimenez to forfeit $1,750 to the United States.
On Oct. 15, 2016, Jimenez pled guilty to one count of distribution of methamphetamine and admitted that on July 22, 2015, she distributed approximately 29 grams of methamphetamine to an individual working with law enforcement.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark A. Saltman and Dustin C. Segovia of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office.
Albuquerque Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Methamphetamine Trafficking ChargeRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Jonathan Griego, 27, of Albuquerque, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court to a methamphetamine trafficking charge under a plea agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office
Griego and his co-defendants Richard Porras, 30 and Jesus Ramirez, 26, were arrested during an ATF-led investigation that resulted in the filing of 59 federal indictments and a federal criminal complaint charging 104 Bernalillo County residents with federal firearms and narcotics trafficking offenses. The investigation began in mid-April 2016, when ATF personnel from throughout the country joined forces with federal, state, county and local law enforcement agencies in New Mexico to combat the high rate of violent crime in the Albuquerque metropolitan area. The investigators utilized a number of investigative techniques, including undercover operations, historical investigation and targeting of multi-convicted felons in possession of firearms.
The investigation was undertaken in support of a federal anti-violence initiative that targets “the worst of the worst” offenders for federal prosecution. Under this initiative, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and federal law enforcement agencies collaborate with New Mexico’s District Attorneys and state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to target violent or repeat offenders for federal prosecution primarily based on their prior criminal convictions with the goal of removing repeat offenders from communities in New Mexico for as long as possible.
Griego, Ramirez and Porras were arrested in Aug. 2016, on separate criminal complaints charging them with drug trafficking and firearms offenses. The three were subsequently charged together in a nine-count indictment filed on Aug. 9, 2016. The indictment charged Porras and Griego with conspiracy and possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. It also charged Porras with distributing methamphetamine on three occasions, carrying a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime, and being a felon in possession of a firearm; and Ramirez with possession of methamphetamine and heroin with intent to distribute, carrying a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
During today’s proceedings, Griego pled guilty to a felony information charging him with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. In entering the guilty plea, Griego admitted that on Aug. 4, 2016, Griego possessed methamphetamine with the intent distribute the methamphetamine to an individual who unbeknownst to him was an undercover ATF agent. At sentencing, Griego faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison.
To date, 49 of the 104 defendants including Porras and Ramirez have entered guilty pleas, and 18 have been sentenced. The remaining defendants, have entered not guilty pleas. Charges in indictments are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent unless found guilty in a court of law.
These cases were investigated by the Albuquerque office of ATF. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul H. Spiers.
Mescalero Apache Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Assault ChargeRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – John Michael Carrillo, 27, an enrolled member of the Mescalero Apache Nation who resides in Mescalero, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M., to an assault charge. Under the terms of his plea agreement, Carrillo will be sentenced to 21 months in prison followed by a term of supervised release to be determined by the court.
Carrillo was arrested on Dec. 17, 2016, on a criminal complaint alleging that he assaulted a Mescalero Apache woman on Dec. 2, 2016, on the Mescalero Apache Indian Reservation in Otero County, N.M., and that the victim suffered serious bodily injury as a result of the assault. According to the complaint, Carrillo assaulted the victim by throwing the victim to the floor and stomping on the victim’s face causing her to suffer a broken jaw, which required surgery.
During today’s proceedings, Carrillo pled guilty to a felony information charging him with assault resulting in serious bodily injury. In entering the guilty plea, Carrillo admitted that on Dec. 2, 2016, he assaulted the victim by stomping on her face. Carrillo acknowledged that the victim suffered a fractured jaw as the result of the assault, which required surgical repair. A sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated the Mescalero Agency of the BIA’s Office of Justice Services. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron O. Jordan of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office as part of the Tribal Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (Tribal SAUSA) Pilot Project in the District of New Mexico, which is sponsored by the Justice Department’s Office on Violence Against Women under a grant administered by the Pueblo of Laguna. The Tribal SAUSA Pilot Project seeks to train tribal prosecutors in federal law, procedure and investigative techniques to increase the likelihood that every viable violent offense against Native American women is prosecuted in either federal court or tribal court, or both. The Tribal SAUSA Pilot Project was largely driven by input gathered from annual tribal consultations on violence against women, and is another step in the Justice Department's on-going efforts to increase engagement, coordination and action on public safety in tribal communities.
Federal Jury Convicts Albuquerque Woman on Methamphetamine Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A federal jury sitting in Albuquerque, N.M., returned a verdict yesterday afternoon finding Albuquerque resident, Sandra Cook, 53, guilty on methamphetamine trafficking charges after a three-day trial. Acting U.S. Attorney James D. Tierney, Special Agent in Charge Waldemar Rodriguez of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in El Paso, Texas, and Sheriff Manuel Gonzales, III, of the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO), announced the verdict.
Cook was arrested on Feb. 24, 2016, on an indictment charging her with possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute on June 30, 2015. The indictment was superseded on Feb. 28, 2017, and added a second methamphetamine trafficking charge alleging that Cook also possessed methamphetamine with intent to distribute on Feb. 24, 2016. According to the superseding indictment, Cook committed the crimes in Bernalillo County, N.M.
Cook’s trial began on May 8, 2017, and concluded yesterday afternoon when the jury returned a guilty verdict against Cook on both counts of the superseding indictment.
The testimony at trial established that on June 30, 2015, BCSO officers executed a search warrant at Cook’s residence where they seized multiple bundles of methamphetamine weighing approximately 3.2 kilograms (7.2 pounds) and over $22,000 in cash. Following the filing of charges against her based on the methamphetamine seizure, Cook evaded capture by law enforcement and the BCSO and HSI conducted an investigation to find her
Other evidence introduced during the trial included the testimony of HSI agents establishing that in Feb. 2016, HSI used a court-authorized GPS tracker and data from Cook’s cell phone to locate Cook at a residence in Albuquerque. On Feb. 24, 2016, agents executed a search warrant at that residence where they located Cook standing near a kitchen table on which an open tool bag was sitting. The tool bag contained her driver’s license and a bag of 100% pure methamphetamine weighing approximately 441.6 grams.
The jury deliberated approximately one hour before returning its guilty verdict.
Cook was remanded into custody after the verdict was returned and will remain detained pending a sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled. At sentencing, Cook faces a mandatory minimum penalty of ten years and a maximum of life in federal prison.
This case was investigated by HSI and BCSO and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexander M. Uballez and Peter J. Eicker.
Federal Indictment Charges Two U.S. Citizens and Four Chinese Nationals with Marriage Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Acting U.S. Attorney James D. Tierney and Special Agent in Charge Waldemar Rodriguez of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in El Paso, Texas, announced the filing of an indictment against two U.S. citizens and four Chinese nationals on charges arising out of an alleged scheme to obtain immigration status for foreign nationals through fraudulent marriages.
The indictment charges Yi Lee, 44, a naturalized U.S. citizen who had been residing in Santa Fe, N.M., Santiago Aveles, 31, of Las Cruces, N.M., and Chia-Jung Chang, 39, Dan Zheng, 32, Lian Xiang Deng, 42, and Xiao-Yin Le, 50, who are Chinese nationals illegally in the United States, with participating in a conspiracy to commit marriage fraud. It also charges Aveles and Zheng with committing marriage fraud for the purpose of evading the federal immigration laws.
Aveles, Chang, Zheng, and Deng, who were arrested last week, were arraigned in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M., this afternoon. Each entered a not guilty plea during this afternoon’s arraignment hearings. The three Chinese nationals were ordered detained pending trial and Aveles was released under pretrial supervision and other conditions of release. The fifth and sixth defendants, Yi Lee and Xiao-Yan Le, have yet to be arrested and are considered fugitives.
The indictment alleges that from June 2016 through March 2017, the six defendants conspired to obtain immigration status for foreign nationals by committing marriage fraud. The scheme allegedly involved having utilizing U.S. citizens enter into fraudulent marriages with foreign nationals in return for financial gain. Lee allegedly facilitated the conspiracy by arranging meetings between foreign nationals and U.S. citizens in order to obtain marriage licenses, working permits and green cards for the foreign nationals who paid Lee and the U.S. citizens. According to the indictment, Lee allegedly attempted to arrange fraudulent marriages between certain of his co-defendants and undercover law enforcement agents.
If convicted of the charges in the indictment, each of the defendants faces a maximum penalty of five years of imprisonment on the conspiracy charge, and Avelez and Zheng each face a maximum penalty of five years of imprisonment on the marriage fraud charge. Charges in indictments are merely accusations, and all criminal defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case was investigated by the Las Cruces office of HSI and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Dustin C. Segovia of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office.
Non-Indian Man from Taos County Pleads Guilty to Assault Charge on Taos PuebloRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Yvon Juteau, 32, a non-Indian man who resides in Rancho de Taos, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to an assault charge. Under the terms of the plea agreement, Juteau will be sentenced to 30 months of imprisonment followed by a term of supervised release to be determined by the court.
Juteau was arrested on Sept. 23, 2016, on an indictment charging him with assaulting an Indian man and woman resulting in serious bodily injury on July 10, 2013, on Taos Pueblo in Taos County, N.M.
During today’s proceedings, Juteau pled guilty to the indictment and admitted that on July 10, 2013, he drove a motor vehicle recklessly, causing a crash that seriously injured an Indian woman. A sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by the Northern Pueblos Agency of the BIA’s Office of Justice Services and the Taos Pueblo Tribal Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Spindle.
New Mexico Man Charged in 13-Count Dog Fighting IndictmentRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in Albuquerque, new Mexico returned an indictment yesterday charging Robert Arellano, 63, of Albuquerque, with 13 counts of violating the animal fighting prohibitions of the federal Animal Welfare Act, announced Acting U.S. Attorney James D. Tierney for the District of New Mexico, and Acting Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey H. Wood for the Department of Justice’s Environment and Natural Resources Division.
Arellano had previously been arrested and indicted on additional charges in the District of New Jersey pertaining to his alleged involvement in a multi-state dog fighting network. Those charges alleged criminal acts related to transporting, delivering, buying, selling, and receiving pit bull-type dogs for dog fighting ventures and conspiring to commit these acts in New Jersey and elsewhere throughout the U.S.
The charges returned today in the District of New Mexico pertain to fighting dogs allegedly kept by Arellano at his residence in Albuquerque. Those dogs were seized by federal authorities when Arellano was arrested last June.
This case is part of Operation Grand Champion, a coordinated effort across numerous federal judicial districts to combat organized dog fighting. The phrase “Grand Champion” is used by dog fighters to refer to a dog with more than five dog-fighting “victories.” To date, 85 dogs have been rescued as part of Operation Grand Champion, and either surrendered or forfeited to the government.
The federal Animal Welfare Act makes it a felony punishable by up to five years in prison to knowingly sell, buy, possess, train, transport, deliver, or receive any animal, including dogs, for purposes of having the animal participate in an animal fighting venture. Under federal law, an animal fighting venture means “any event, in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce, that involves a fight conducted or to be conducted between at least two animals for purposes of sport, wagering, or entertainment.”
This part of Operation Grand Champion was investigated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Dax Roberson; and under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Terry Wade of the FBI’s Albuquerque Division, in coordination with the Department of Justice.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Letitia Simms and Paul Mysliwiec of the District of New Mexico, and Trial Attorney Ethan Eddy of the Justice Department’s Environmental Crimes Section, Environment and Natural Resources Division. The Humane Society of the U.S. assisted with the care of the dogs seized by federal law enforcement.
An indictment is an allegation based upon a finding of probable cause by a grand jury. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until convicted.
If convicted, the defendant faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine per count of animal fighting charges. The investigation is ongoing.
Albuquerque Man Charged in 13-Count Dog Fighting IndictmentRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A federal grand jury in Albuquerque, N.M., returned an indictment yesterday afternoon charging Albuquerque resident Robert Arellano, 63, with 13 counts of violating the animal fighting prohibitions of the federal Animal Welfare Act, announced James D. Tierney, Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Jeffrey H. Wood, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Department of Justice’s Environment and Natural Resources Division.
Arellano had previously been arrested and indicted on additional charges in the District of New Jersey pertaining to his alleged involvement in a multi-state dog fighting network. Those charges alleged criminal acts related to transporting, delivering, buying, selling, and receiving pit bull-type dogs for dog fighting ventures and conspiring to commit these acts in New Jersey and elsewhere throughout the United States.
The charges returned yesterday in the District of New Mexico pertain to fighting dogs allegedly kept by Arellano at his residence in Albuquerque. Those dogs were seized by federal authorities when Arellano was arrested last June.
This case is part of Operation Grand Champion, a coordinated effort across numerous federal judicial districts to combat organized dog fighting. The phrase “Grand Champion” is used by dog fighters to refer to a dog with more than five dog-fighting “victories.” To date, 85 dogs have been rescued as part of Operation Grand Champion, and either surrendered or forfeited to the government.
The federal Animal Welfare Act makes it a felony punishable by up to five years in prison to knowingly sell, buy, possess, train, transport, deliver, or receive any animal, including dogs, for purposes of having the animal participate in an animal fighting venture. Under federal law, an animal fighting venture means “any event, in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce, that involves a fight conducted or to be conducted between at least two animals for purposes of sport, wagering, or entertainment.”
This part of Operation Grand Champion was investigated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Dax Roberson; and the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Terry Wade of the FBI’s Albuquerque Division, in coordination with the Department of Justice.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Letitia Simms and Paul Mysliwiec of the District of New Mexico, and Trial Attorney Ethan Eddy of the Justice Department’s Environmental Crimes Section, Environment and Natural Resources Division. The Humane Society of the United States assisted with the care of the dogs seized by federal law enforcement.
An indictment is an allegation based upon a finding of probable cause by a grand jury. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until convicted.
If convicted, the defendant faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine per count of animal fighting charges. The investigation is ongoing.
Arellano IndictmentOhkay Owingeh Man from Santa Fe Pleads Guilty to Federal Kidnapping ChargeRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Earl Adams, 53, and enrolled member of the Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo who resides in Santa Fe, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to a kidnapping charge. The plea agreement recommends that Adams be sentenced to 11 years of imprisonment followed by a term of supervised release to be determined by the court.
Adams was arrested on March 2, 2017, on an indictment charging him with assault resulting in serious bodily injury and kidnapping. According to the indictment, Adams committed the offenses on March 1 and 2, 2016, on the Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo in Rio Arriba County, N.M.
During today’s proceedings, Adams pled guilty to the kidnapping charge. In entering the guilty plea, Adams admitted seizing and confining the victim in a residence on March 1, 2016, because the victim refused to take him to the store to purchase alcohol. Adams assaulted the victim by punching and kicking her, dragging her around the residence by her hair, and binding her hands and feet with zip ties. As a result of the assault, the victim suffered a black eye, a nasal fracture and a forearm fracture, both of which required surgery, injuries the hand and wrist, which required physical therapy, and loose front teeth. Adams admitted that he did not release the victim until March 2, 2016, when police arrived at the residence.
Adams remains in custody pending a sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by the Northern Pueblos Agency of the BIA’s Office of Justice Services and the Ohkay Owingeh Tribal Police Department. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Lucy Solimon is prosecuting the case as part of the Tribal Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (Tribal SAUSA) Pilot Project in the District of New Mexico, which is sponsored by the Justice Department’s Office on Violence Against Women under a grant administered by the Pueblo of Laguna. The Tribal SAUSA Pilot Project seeks to train tribal prosecutors in federal law, procedure and investigative techniques to increase the likelihood that every viable violent offense against Native American women is prosecuted in either federal court or tribal court, or both. The Tribal SAUSA Pilot Project was largely driven by input gathered from annual tribal consultations on violence against women, and is another step in the Justice Department's on-going efforts to increase engagement, coordination and action on public safety in tribal communities.
Las Cruces Man Sentenced to Five Years for Federal Methamphetamine Trafficking ConvictionRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Benjamin David Romero, 38, of Las Cruces, N.M., was sentenced today in federal court to 60 months in prison for his conviction on methamphetamine trafficking charges. Romero will be on supervised release for four years after completing his prison sentence.
Romero and co-defendant Roque Henry Atencio, 42, also of Las Cruces, were arrested on Feb. 6, 2016, on a criminal complaint charging them with methamphetamine trafficking offenses. According to the complaint, Romero and Atencio sold two bags containing an aggregate of 47.35 grams of pure methamphetamine to undercover law enforcement agents in Doña Ana County, N.M., on April 2, 2015.
Romero and Atencio were indicted on April 21, 2016, and were charged with participating in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and distributing methamphetamine on April 2, 2015. The indictment included forfeiture allegations requiring Romero and Atencio to forfeit $2,000 to the United States.
During today’s sentencing hearing, Romero entered into a plea agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office. In entering the guilty plea, Romero pled guilty to the indictment and admitted that on April 2, 2015, he provided approximately 47.35 grams of pure methamphetamine to Atencio, which Atencio subsequently sold to an individual working with law enforcement.
Atencio entered a guilty plea on Oct. 5, 2016, without the benefit of a plea agreement. At sentencing, Atencio faces a statutory minimum penalty of five years and a maximum of 40 years in prison. Atencio remains in custody pending a sentencing hearing, which is currently scheduled for May 22, 2017.
This case was investigated by the Las Cruces office of Homeland Security Investigations and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark A. Saltman of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office.
Albuquerque Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Methamphetamine Trafficking ChargeRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Michael Ryan Prost, 36, of Albuquerque, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court to a methamphetamine trafficking charge under a plea agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Prost and co-defendant Mike Jensen, 33, were arrested during an ATF-led investigation that resulted in the filing of 59 federal indictments and a federal criminal complaint charging 104 Bernalillo County residents with federal firearms and narcotics trafficking offenses. The investigation began in mid-April 2016, when ATF personnel from throughout the country joined forces with federal, state, county and local law enforcement agencies in New Mexico to combat the high rate of violent crime in the Albuquerque metropolitan area. The investigators utilized a number of investigative techniques, including undercover operations, historical investigation and targeting of multi-convicted felons in possession of firearms.
The investigation was undertaken in support of a federal anti-violence initiative that targets “the worst of the worst” offenders for federal prosecution. Under this initiative, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and federal law enforcement agencies collaborate with New Mexico’s District Attorneys and state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to target violent or repeat offenders for federal prosecution primarily based on their prior criminal convictions with the goal of removing repeat offenders from communities in New Mexico for as long as possible.
Jensen was arrested in July 2016, on an indictment charging him with methamphetamine trafficking and firearms charges. The indictment subsequently was superseded on Aug. 9, 2016, to include Prost. The superseding indictment charged Jensen and Prost with conspiring to distribute methamphetamine from May 9, 2016 through May 25, 2016, and distributing methamphetamine on May 9, 2016. Jensen was charged individually with possession of a stolen firearm and carrying a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime on May 9, 2016, and distributing methamphetamine on May 25, 2016.
Today, Prost pled guilty to distributing approximately 57 grams of methamphetamine to Jensen on May 9, 2016, so that he could sell the methamphetamine to others. Jensen previously entered a guilty plea. At sentencing, Prost faces a statutory minimum penalty of five years and a maximum of 40 years in federal prison. A sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled.
To date, 48 of the 104 defendants have entered guilty pleas, and 18, including Jensen, have been sentenced. The remaining defendants have entered not guilty pleas. Charges in indictments are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent unless found guilty in a court of law.
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of ATF. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward Han is prosecuting the case.
Federal Jury Convicts Albuquerque Man and Woman on “Spice” Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A federal jury sitting in Albuquerque, N.M., returned a verdict on Friday night finding Albuquerque residents Fidal Abdeljawad, 49, and Ashley Watson, 31, guilty on synthetic cannabinoids trafficking charges after a five-day trial. Acting U.S. Attorney James D. Tierney and Special Agent in Charge Will R. Glaspy of the DEA’s El Paso Division announced the guilty verdict.
Abdeljawad and Watson were charged with trafficking in synthetic cannabinoids, more commonly known as “spice,” in an indictment that was filed in Sept. 22, 2015, and superseded in Dec. 2015. The four-count superseding indictment charged Abdeljawad and Watson with participating in a “spice” trafficking conspiracy from March 2014 through Feb. 2015. It also charged the defendants with possessing “spice” with intent to distribute on May 8, 2014, and Feb. 19, 2015, and Abdeljawad alone with possessing “spice” with intent to distribute on May 7, 2014. According to the superseding indictment, Abdeljawad and Watson committed the crimes in Bernalillo County, N.M.
The trial of Abdeljawad and Watson began on May 1, 2017, and concluded at approximately 8:00 p.m. on May 5, 2017, when the jury returned a guilty verdict against Abdeljawad and Watson on all four counts of the superseding indictment.
Testimony at trial established that the DEA initiated an investigation into “spice” trafficking in Albuquerque in 2014, after receiving information that Abdeljawad, the owner of “Sean’s Smoke Shop” on Central Avenue SE in Albuquerque, and others were distributing “spice.” Law enforcement officers testified that on May 7, 2014, they executed a search at “Sean’s Smoke Shop” and Abdeljawad’s van, and seized more than 100 packets of “spice” and bundles of cash totaling more than $10,000. Abdeljawad was arrested that day on state charges and later was released on bond. The next day, the DEA learned that Abdeljawad had a storage unit near “Sean’s Smoke Shop,” which was leased out in Watson’s name. During a search of the storage unit, the DEA seized more than 500 additional packets of “spice.”
Other evidence at trial, including the testimony of witnesses and telephone conversations and text messages captured through court-authorized wire-taps, established that despite his arrest on state charges, Abdeljawad continued to distribute “spice” in collaboration with Watson. Abdeljawad would order shipments of “spice” from suppliers, who delivered the “spice” to Watson and she coordinated the distribution of “spice” to others in exchange for money. On Feb. 19, 2015, the DEA intercepted a package that was in the process of being shipped to Watson. The DEA opened the package after obtaining a search warrant for it, and found that it contained 100 packets of “spice.” Abdeljawad and Watson were arrested in Sept. 2015, after they were indicted.
The jury deliberated approximately four hours before returning its guilty verdict.
Abdeljawad and Watson were remanded into custody after the verdict was returned and will remain detained pending their sentencing hearings, which have yet to be scheduled. At sentencing, Abdeljawad and Watson each face a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison.
This case, which was investigated by the Albuquerque office of DEA, was designated as part of the Justice Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program, a nationwide Department of Justice program that combines the resources and unique expertise of federal agencies, along with their local counterparts, in a coordinated effort to disrupt and dismantle major drug trafficking organizations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy S. Vasquez and Kristopher N. Houghton are prosecuting the case.
The controlled substance analogues charged in the indictment are commonly referred to as synthetic cannabinoids or “spice.” According to the DEA, over the past several years, there has been a growing use of synthetic cannabinoids. Smoke-able herbal blends marketed as being “legal” and providing a marijuana-like high have become increasingly popular because they are easily available and, in many cases, more potent and dangerous than marijuana. These products consist of plant material that has been coated with dangerous psychoactive compounds that mimic THC, the active ingredient in marijuana. These substances, however, have not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for human consumption, and there is no oversight of the manufacturing process. Synthetic cannabinoids often are labeled as incense to mask their intended purpose.
Albuquerque Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Methamphetamine Trafficking ChargeRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Joseph Sena, 40, of Albuquerque, N.M., pled guilty Friday, May 5, 2017, in federal court to a methamphetamine trafficking charge under a plea agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Sena and co-defendants Felix Ulibarri, 39, Leo Lopez, 27, and Jennifer Padilla, 39, were arrested during an ATF-led investigation that resulted in the filing of 59 federal indictments and a federal criminal complaint charging 104 Bernalillo County residents with federal firearms and narcotics trafficking offenses. The investigation began in mid-April 2016, when ATF personnel from throughout the country joined forces with federal, state, county and local law enforcement agencies in New Mexico to combat the high rate of violent crime in the Albuquerque metropolitan area. The investigators utilized a number of investigative techniques, including undercover operations, historical investigation and targeting of multi-convicted felons in possession of firearms.
The investigation was undertaken in support of a federal anti-violence initiative that targets “the worst of the worst” offenders for federal prosecution. Under this initiative, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and federal law enforcement agencies collaborate with New Mexico’s District Attorneys and state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to target violent or repeat offenders for federal prosecution primarily based on their prior criminal convictions with the goal of removing repeat offenders from communities in New Mexico for as long as possible.
Ulibarri was indicted on July 28, 2016, and was charged with distributing methamphetamine on July 11, 2016. The indictment subsequently was superseded on Aug. 9, 2016, to add Lopez, Sena and Padilla. The superseding indictment charged Ulibarri and Padilla with participating in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in July 2016; Lopez, Sena and Padilla with participating in a different conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in July 2016; Ulibarri with distributing methamphetamine on July 11, 2016; and Sena with distributing methamphetamine on July 26, 2016. According to the indictment, the defendants committed the crimes in Bernalillo County.
On May 5, 2017, Sena pled guilty to Count 4 of the superseding indictment charging him with distribution of methamphetamine. In entering the guilty plea, Sena admitted that on July 26, 2016, he sold approximately 58 grams of methamphetamine in exchange for money. At sentencing, Sena faces a mandatory minimum penalty of five years and a maximum of 40 years in federal prison. A sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled.
To date, 47 of the 104 defendants including Lopez have entered guilty pleas, and 18 have been sentenced. The remaining defendants, including Ulibarri and Padilla, have entered not guilty pleas. Charges in indictments are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent unless found guilty in a court of law.
These cases were investigated by the Albuquerque office of ATF. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward Han.
Navajo Man from McKinley County Pleads Guilty to Assaulting a ChildRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Richard Martinez, 38, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation who resides in Ojo Encino, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to federal child abuse charges. The plea agreement recommends that Martinez be sentenced to five years of imprisonment followed by a term of supervised release to be determined by the court.
Martinez was arrested in Aug. 2016, on an indictment charging him with two counts of child abuse resulting in great bodily harm on Dec. 24, 2014, on the Navajo Indian Reservation in McKinley County, N.M.
During today’s proceedings, Martinez pled guilty to an information charging him with two counts of assault resulting in substantial bodily injury. In entering the guilty plea, Martinez admitted that on Dec. 24, 2014, he assaulted the victim who was under the age of 16 years by twisting and pulling the victim’s left leg and left arm causing the victim to suffer fractures to his shoulder and left leg. A sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Mease and Nicholas J. Marshall.
Mexican Nationals Arrested on Federal Counterfeit Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Acting U.S. Attorney James D. Tierney and Special Agent in Charge Waldemar Rodriguez of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in El Paso, Texas, announced federal charges against two Mexican nationals for allegedly operating a counterfeit airbag business out of their residence in Albuquerque, N.M. Dina Gonzalez-Marquez, 23, and Emilio Gonzalez-Marquez, 21, both of whom are illegally present in the United States, were arrested yesterday and made their initial appearances today in federal court on a three-count indictment charging them with trafficking in counterfeit goods.
The indictment charges the siblings with conspiring to traffic in counterfeit goods and two counts of trafficking in counterfeit goods. According to the indictment, Dina Gonzalez-Marquez and Emilio Gonzalez-Marquez conspired to traffic in counterfeit goods from Jan. 2015 to March 2017, by operating a business that sold counterfeit airbag modules and airbag covers out of their Albuquerque residence. They allegedly facilitated the conspiracy by listing and selling counterfeit airbag modules and airbag covers online, shipping the counterfeit goods to purchasers, and conducting in person sales of the counterfeit goods. The indictment alleges that undercover HSI Special Agents purchased counterfeit goods from the defendants on two occasions. Specifically it alleges that one Special Agent purchased a counterfeit airbag from the defendants in Aug. 2016, and another Special Agent purchased a counterfeit airbag cover from them in March 1, 2017.
Dina Gonzalez-Marquez and Emilio Gonzalez-Marquez remain in federal custody pending arraignment and detention hearings, which are scheduled for May 5, 2017.
If convicted on the charges in the indictment, Dina Gonzalez-Marquez and Emilio Gonzalez-Marquez each face a statutory maximum penalty of ten years in prison and a maximum fine of $2 million. Charges in indictments are merely accusations, and all criminal defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of HSI, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brandon L. Fyffe and Nicholas Jon Ganjei.
Albuquerque Man Sentenced to Ten Years for Federal Methamphetamine Trafficking ConvictionRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Edward Kriglstein, 50, of Albuquerque, N.M., was sentenced this morning in federal court to 120 months in prison for a methamphetamine trafficking conviction. Kriglstein will be on supervised release for eight years following his prison sentence.
Kriglstein was arrested in Feb. 2016, on a criminal complaint charging him with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute on Feb. 8, 2016, in Bernalillo County, N.M. According to the complaint, on that day, law enforcement officers executed an arrest warrant on Kriglstein and seized approximately 153.5 gross grams of methamphetamine, marijuana, cash and drug paraphernalia from him incident to his arrest. Kriglstein was indicted on the same charge on Feb. 24, 2016.
On Dec. 16, 2016, Kriglstein pled guilty to the indictment and admitted that on Feb. 8, 2016, law enforcement seized approximately 107.4 grams of pure methamphetamine from him when they arrested him on an outstanding arrest warrant relating to a prior criminal conviction.
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the DEA and the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander M. Uballez prosecuted the case.
Albuquerque Man Sentenced to Seven Years for Conviction on Federal Firearms and Drug Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Jeffrey Burlingame, 59, of Albuquerque, N.M., was sentenced today in federal court to 84 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for violating the federal firearms and drug trafficking laws.
Burlingame was arrested in Feb. 2016, on a criminal complaint charging him with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. The complaint alleged that Burlingame committed the crime on Feb. 24, 2016, in Bernalillo County, N.M. According to the complaint, on that day, law enforcement agents executed a search warrant at the Albuquerque residence of another person. The agents seized methamphetamine, cash, firearms, ammunition and drug paraphernalia from Burlingame, who was present at the time the search warrant was executed.
Burlingame was indicted on March 23, 2016, and was charged with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and carrying a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime on Feb. 24, 2016, in Bernalillo County.
On Nov. 28, 2016, Burlingame pled guilty to carrying a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime and possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. In entering the guilty plea, Burlingame admitted that on Feb. 24, 2016, he was in possession of 450.55 grams of pure methamphetamine and a firearm and ammunition when law enforcement agents executed a search warrant at a residence in Albuquerque.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander M. Uballez prosecuted the case.
Non-Indian Man from Santa Fe Pleads Guilty to Trespassing and Damaging Property on Pojoaque Pueblo LandRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Derek I. Hunt, 28, of Santa Fe, N.M., pled guilty yesterday in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to misdemeanor charges of criminal trespass and criminal damage to property. Hunt’s plea agreement includes a recommendation that Hunt be sentenced to a one-year term of probation, including 120 days in a halfway house.
Hunt was charged in a criminal complaint on Feb. 8, 2017, with misdemeanor criminal trespass and criminal damage to property. The complaint alleged that in Aug. 2016, the Pojoaque Pueblo Governor banished Hunt, a non-Indian, from entering Pojoaque Tribal Lands. According to the complaint, Hunt reentered Pojoaque Pueblo on two occasions between Aug. 2016 and Jan. 2017, in violation of the Pueblo’s banishment resolution. The complaint also alleged that on Jan. 12, 2017, Hunt damaged a vehicle belonging to a Pojoaque Pueblo woman.
During yesterday’s proceedings, Hunt pled guilty to a misdemeanor information charging him with criminal trespass and criminal damage to property. In entering the guilty plea, Hunt admitted that although the Pueblo of Pojoaque served him with an Order of Exclusion in Aug. 2016, he reentered the Pueblo on Jan. 5, 2017 and several times prior to Jan. 5, 2017, in violation of the Pueblo’s Tribal Order. Hunt further admitted that on Jan. 5, 2017, he used a rock to damage the windshield of a vehicle on the Pojoaque Pueblo. A sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by the Northern Pueblos Agency of the BIA’s Office of Justice Services and the Pojoaque Pueblo Tribal Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elisa Dimas.
Felon from San Juan County Pleads Guilty to Unlawfully Possessing Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Shane Johnston, 41, of Aztec, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
Johnston was arrested in April 2016, on an indictment charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition on Sept. 1, 2015, in San Juan County, N.M. According to the indictment, Johnston previously had been convicted of several felony offenses including possession of a controlled substance, receiving stolen property, possession of a firearm or destructive device by a felon, burglary of an automobile and distribution of methamphetamine.
During today’s proceedings, Johnston pled guilty to the indictment and admitted that on Sept. 1, 2015, he was in possession of a firearm and ammunition and was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because of his status as a convicted felon. At sentencing, Johnston faces a maximum penalty of ten years in federal prison. If the Court determines that Johnston is an armed career criminal, Johnston faces an enhanced sentence of a statutory mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison and a maximum of life imprisonment.
This case was investigated by the ATF and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel A. Hurtado as part of a federal anti-violence initiative that targets “the worst of the worst” offenders for federal prosecution. Under this initiative, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and federal law enforcement agencies work with New Mexico’s District Attorneys and state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to target violent or repeat offenders primarily based on their prior convictions for federal prosecution with the goal of removing repeat offenders from communities in New Mexico for as long as possible.
Prior Felon from Albuquerque Pleads Guilty to Violating Federal Firearms LawsRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Pilar Angel Lucero, 33, of Albuquerque, N.M., pled guilty today to violating federal firearms laws. The plea agreement included the recommendation that Lucero be sentenced to 48 months in prison followed by a term of supervised release to be determined by the court.
Lucero was charged by criminal complaint on July 7, 2016, with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition on June 16, 2016, in Bernalillo County, N.M., following a routine traffic stop by the Albuquerque Police Department (APD). subsequently was indicted on the same charge on July 28, 2016. According to the indictment, was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because of his previous felony convictions for shooting at a dwelling, shooting at or from a motor vehicle, drug trafficking, child abandonment/abuse, conspiracy to traffic in controlled substances, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and conspiracy to commit burglary of a house.
During today’s proceedings, Lucero pled guilty to the indictment and admitted that on June 16, 2016, APD officers found a handgun with 11 rounds of ammunition in Lucero’s vehicle during a traffic stop. Lucero further admitted purchasing the handgun by using a fake New Mexico driver’s license, and while knowing that he was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because of his status as a convicted felon. Lucero remains in custody pending a sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the FBI and the APD. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer M. Rozzoni is prosecuting the case.
New Jersey Women Facing Federal Drug Trafficking Charges Arising from DEA Seizure of Fourteen Pounds of HeroinRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – This morning a U.S. Magistrate Judge sitting in Albuquerque, N.M., found probable cause to support a criminal complaint charging Ashely Yarell Cruz-Castro, 21, and Stephanie Esther Caminero, 21, both of Patterson, N.J., with heroin trafficking offenses. Cruz-Castro and Caminero were released pending trial under pretrial supervision and other conditions of release.
DEA Special Agents arrested Cruz-Castro and Caminero on April 29, 2017, after they allegedly seized a total of 6.6 kilograms (14.52 pounds) of heroin from the two women during an interdiction investigation at the Greyhound Bus Station in Albuquerque. According to the criminal complaint in which the two women are charged, Cruz-Castro and Caminero each allegedly possessed approximately 3.3 kilograms of heroin in their respective duffle bags.
If convicted, Cruz-Castro and Caminero each face a statutory mandatory minimum of ten years and a maximum of life in prison. Charges in criminal complaints are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent unless found guilty in a court of law.
The case against Cruz-Castro and Caminero was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the DEA and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney George Kraehe as part of the New Mexico Heroin and Opioid Prevention and Education (HOPE) Initiative. The HOPE Initiative was launched in January 2015 by the UNM Health Sciences Center and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in response to the national opioid epidemic, which has had a disproportionately devastating impact on New Mexico. Opioid addiction has taken a toll on public safety, public health and the economic viability of our communities. Working in partnership with the DEA, the Bernalillo County Opioid Accountability Initiative, Healing Addiction in our Community (HAC), the Albuquerque Public Schools and other community stakeholders, HOPE’s principal goals are to protect our communities from the dangers associated with heroin and opioid painkillers and reducing the number of opioid-related deaths in New Mexico.
The HOPE Initiative is comprised of five components: (1) prevention and education; (2) treatment; (3) law enforcement; (4) reentry; and (5) strategic planning. HOPE’s law enforcement component is led by the Organized Crime Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the DEA in conjunction with their federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement partners. Targeting members of major heroin and opioid trafficking organizations for investigation and prosecution is a priority of the HOPE Initiative. Learn more about the New Mexico HOPE Initiative at http://www.HopeInitiativeNM.org.
Felon from Carlsbad Sentenced to Prison for Violating Federal Firearms LawsRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Miguel Molina, 36, of Carlsbad, N.M., was sentenced today in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M., to 37 months in prison for unlawfully possessing a firearm and ammunition. Molina will be on supervised release for three years after completing his prison sentence.
Molina was arrested in July 2016, on an indictment charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition on May 6, 2015, in Eddy County, N.M. According to the indictment, Molina was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because of his prior conviction for distributing marijuana.
On Nov. 17, 2016, Molina entered a guilty plea to the indictment without the benefit of a plea agreement.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Pecos Valley Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dustin C. Segovia of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office prosecuted the case.
The Pecos Valley Drug Task Force is comprised of officers from the Eddy County Sheriff’s Office, Carlsbad Police Department and Artesia Police Department and is part of the HIDTA Region VI Drug Task Force. The High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program was created by Congress with the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988. HIDTA is a program of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) which provides assistance to federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies operating in areas determined to be critical drug-trafficking regions of the United States and seeks to reduce drug trafficking and production by facilitating coordinated law enforcement activities and information sharing.
California Woman Pleads Guilty to Federal Meth Trafficking Charge in New MexicoRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Natalie Orozco, 30, of Los Angeles, Calif., pled guilty today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to a methamphetamine trafficking charge. The plea agreement recommends that Orozco be sentenced to ten years of imprisonment followed by a term of supervised release to be determined by the court. The guilty plea was announced by Acting U.S. Attorney James D. Tierney and Special Agent in Charge Will R. Glaspy of the DEA’s El Paso Division.
The DEA arrested Orozco in May 2016, after seizing approximately 1.4 kilograms (3.08 pounds) of methamphetamine from her during an interdiction investigation at the Amtrak Train Station in Albuquerque. During a post-arrest statement, Orozco acknowledged that she was transporting the methamphetamine to Indianapolis, Ind., in exchange for money.
Orozco subsequently was indicted on May 25, 2016, and charged with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute on May 9, 2016, in Bernalillo County, N.M.
During today’s proceedings, Orozco pled guilty to the indictment and admitted possessing methamphetamine concealed inside a backpack while traveling to Albuquerque on an Amtrak Train on May 9, 2016. Orozco also admitted that she was transporting the methamphetamine for money. Orozco remains in custody pending a sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the DEA and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eva Fontanez.
Albuquerque Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Methamphetamine Trafficking ChargeRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Dwayne Cunningham, 49, of Albuquerque, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court to a methamphetamine trafficking charge. Cunningham’s plea agreement includes a recommendation that he be sentenced to 60 months of imprisonment followed by a term of supervised release to be determined by the court.
Cunningham and co-defendants Devell Devoual, 35, and Cedric Laneham, 39, were arrested during an ATF-led investigation that resulted in the filing of 59 federal indictments and a federal criminal complaint charging 104 Bernalillo County residents with federal firearms and narcotics trafficking offenses. The investigation began in mid-April 2016, when ATF personnel from throughout the country joined forces with federal, state, county and local law enforcement agencies in New Mexico to combat the high rate of violent crime in the Albuquerque metropolitan area. The investigators utilized a number of investigative techniques, including undercover operations, historical investigation and targeting of multi-convicted felons in possession of firearms.
The investigation was undertaken in support of a federal anti-violence initiative that targets “the worst of the worst” offenders for federal prosecution. Under this initiative, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and federal law enforcement agencies collaborate with New Mexico’s District Attorneys and state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to target violent or repeat offenders for federal prosecution primarily based on their prior criminal convictions with the goal of removing repeat offenders from communities in New Mexico for as long as possible.
Cunningham and his co-defendants were arrested in July 2016, on an indictment charging them with conspiring to distribute methamphetamine between May 16, 2016 and June 2, 2016; Devoual and Laneham with distributing methamphetamine on May 17, 2016; and Devoual and Cunningham with possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute on June 2, 2016. According to the indictment, the defendants committed the offenses in Bernalillo County, N.M.
During today’s proceedings, Cunningham pled guilty to distributing more than 50 grams of methamphetamine on May 17, 2016. Cunningham remains in custody pending a sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled.
To date, 46 of the 104 defendants including Lucero have entered guilty pleas, and 18 have been sentenced. The remaining defendants, including Devoual and Laneham, have entered not guilty pleas. Charges in indictments are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent unless found guilty in a court of law.
These cases were investigated by the Albuquerque office of ATF. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David M. Walsh and Norman Cairns.
Las Cruces Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Meth Trafficking ConvictionRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Mariano Ponce, Jr., 46, of Las Cruces, N.M., was sentenced today in federal court to 41 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for his methamphetamine trafficking conviction.
Ponce was arrested on Aug. 2, 2016, on an indictment charging him with methamphetamine trafficking offenses. The indictment charged Ponce with distributing methamphetamine on Sept. 16, 2015, Oct. 14, 2015, and Oct. 23, 2015, and with possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute on Dec. 7, 2015. According to the indictment, Ponce committed the crimes in Dona Ana County, N.M.
On Nov. 8, 2016, Ponce pled guilty to a felony information charging him with three counts of distributing methamphetamine and one count of possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute. In entering the guilty plea, Ponce admitted that on Sept. 15, 2015, Oct. 14, 2015 and Oct. 23, 2015, he sold methamphetamine to an undercover law enforcement agent. Ponce further admitted that on Dec. 7, 2015, law enforcement officers discovered a bag of methamphetamine in his vehicle, which he intended to distribute to others.
This case was investigated by the HIDTA Regional Interagency Drug Task Force/Metro Narcotics Task Force and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Clara Cobos of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office.
The HIDTA Regional Interagency Drug Task Force/Metro Narcotics Task Force is comprised of officers from the Las Cruces Police Department, the Doña Ana County Sheriff’s Office, the FBI, HSI and the New Mexico State Police. The High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program was created by Congress with the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988. HIDTA is a program of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) which provides assistance to federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies operating in areas determined to be critical drug-trafficking regions of the United States and seeks to reduce drug trafficking and production by facilitating coordinated law enforcement activities and information sharing.
Farmington Man Sentenced to Prison for Violating Federal Drug Trafficking and Firearms LawsRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – David Kingsbeck 43, of Farmington, N.M., was sentenced today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to 37 months in prison for his conviction on drug trafficking and firearms charges. He will be on supervised release for threeyears after completing his prison sentence.
Kingsbeck was arrested on March 4, 2016, on a criminal complaint charging him with trafficking methamphetamine in San Juan County, N.M. According to the complaint, Kingsbeck sold approximately 57 grams of methamphetamine to an undercover law enforcement agent on Feb. 16, 2016.
Kingsbeck and co-defendant Rupesh Bhakta, 38, also of Farmington, were subsequently indicted on March 23, 2016. Kingsbeck was charged individually with being a felon in possession of a firearm on July 1, 2015 and Dec. 30, 2015, and distributing heroin on Dec. 30, 2015. Bhakta and Kingsbeck were charged jointly with conspiracy and distribution of methamphetamine on Feb. 16, 2016. According to the indictment, the two men committed the crimes in San Juan County. Kingsbeck was prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition because of his prior felony convictions for criminal conspiracy, theft and escape.
On Dec. 19, 2016, Kingsbeck pled guilty to distributing heroin and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. In entering the guilty plea Kingsbeck admitted that on Dec. 29, 2015, he sold approximately 12.8 grams of heroin and a firearm and ammunition to an undercover law enforcement agent. Kingsbeck further admitted that he was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition on Dec. 29, 2015, because of his prior felony convictions.
On Dec. 8, 2016, Bhakta pled guilty to an information charging him with distribution of methamphetamine. In entering the guilty plea, Bhakta admitted that on Feb. 16, 2016, he distributed methamphetamine to an undercover law enforcement agent. Under the terms of his plea agreement, Bhakta will be sentenced within the range of 24 to 60 months in federal prison. A sentencing hearing is currently scheduled for May 11, 2017.
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the DEA and the New Mexico State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rumaldo R. Armijo is prosecuting the case as part of the New Mexico Heroin and Opioid Prevention and Education (HOPE) Initiative. The HOPE Initiative was launched in January 2015 by the UNM Health Sciences Center and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in response to the national opioid epidemic, which has had a disproportionately devastating impact on New Mexico. Opioid addiction has taken a toll on public safety, public health and the economic viability of our communities. Working in partnership with the DEA, the Bernalillo County Opioid Accountability Initiative, Healing Addiction in our Community (HAC), the Albuquerque Public Schools and other community stakeholders, HOPE’s principal goals are to protect our communities from the dangers associated with heroin and opioid painkillers and reducing the number of opioid-related deaths in New Mexico.
The HOPE Initiative is comprised of five components: (1) prevention and education; (2) treatment; (3) law enforcement; (4) reentry; and (5) strategic planning. HOPE’s law enforcement component is led by the Organized Crime Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the DEA in conjunction with their federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement partners. Targeting members of major heroin and opioid trafficking organizations for investigation and prosecution is a priority of the HOPE Initiative. Learn more about the New Mexico HOPE Initiative at http://www.HopeInitiativeNM.org.
Albuquerque Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Methamphetamine Trafficking ChargeRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Benjamin Marquez, 42, of Albuquerque, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court to a methamphetamine trafficking charge. Marquez’s plea agreement includes a recommendation of 60 months of imprisonment followed by a period of supervised release to be determined by the court.
Marquez and his co-defendant Richard Lucero, 37, were arrested during an ATF-led investigation that resulted in the filing of 59 federal indictments and a federal criminal complaint charging 104 Bernalillo County residents with federal firearms and narcotics trafficking offenses. The investigation began in mid-April 2016, when ATF personnel from throughout the country joined forces with federal, state, county and local law enforcement agencies in New Mexico to combat the high rate of violent crime in the Albuquerque metropolitan area. The investigators utilized a number of investigative techniques, including undercover operations, historical investigation and targeting of multi-convicted felons in possession of firearms.
The investigation was undertaken in support of a federal anti-violence initiative that targets “the worst of the worst” offenders for federal prosecution. Under this initiative, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and federal law enforcement agencies collaborate with New Mexico’s District Attorneys and state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to target violent or repeat offenders for federal prosecution primarily based on their prior criminal convictions with the goal of removing repeat offenders from communities in New Mexico for as long as possible.
Marquez and Lucero were arrested in Aug. 2016, on a five-count indictment alleging drug trafficking offenses. Marquez was charged individually with distribution of heroin on May 5, 2016, and Marquez and Lucero were charged with conspiring to distribute methamphetamine from May 6, 2016 through June 1, 2016, and distribution of methamphetamine on May 6, 2016, May 18, 2016, and June 1, 2016. According to the indictment, the offenses took place in Bernalillo County.
During today’s proceedings, Marquez pled guilty to distributing methamphetamine, and admitted that on June 1, 2016, he sold approximately 60 grams of methamphetamine to an undercover law enforcement agent. Marquez remains in custody pending a sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled.
To date, 45 of the 104 defendants including Lucero have entered guilty pleas, and 18 have been sentenced. The remaining defendants have entered not guilty pleas. Charges in indictments are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent unless found guilty in a court of law.
These cases were investigated by the Albuquerque office of ATF. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eva Fontanez.
Twenty-Eight Alleged Members of Mexican Drug Trafficking Organization Charged with Federal Drug Trafficking and International Money Laundering OffensesRead the Press Release
Kentucky and Illinois
DEA-Led Investigation Included Seizures of 30 Kilograms of Heroin, 64 Kilograms of Methamphetamine, 17 Kilograms of Cocaine, 20 Kilograms of Marijuana, 24 Firearms, $102,000 in Currency and Three Vehicle
ALBUQUERQUE – Twenty-eight individuals are facing drug trafficking and money laundering charges as the result of a federal investigation targeting a Mexican drug trafficking organization (DTO) responsible for importing large quantities of heroin, methamphetamine and cocaine from Mexico, and distributing the drugs in New Mexico, Texas, Kansas, Kentucky and Illinois.
The charges are the result of a 16-month DEA-led investigation during which law enforcement authorities seized approximately 30 kilograms of heroin, 64 kilograms of methamphetamine, 17 kilograms of cocaine, 20 kilograms of marijuana, 24 firearms, $102,000 in currency, and three vehicles. The investigation concluded this morning with an early morning, multi-agency law enforcement operation which included the execution of arrest warrants in New Mexico and Texas, and the execution of six search warrants at locations in El Paso, Tex., Sunland Park, N.M., Belen, N.M., and Albuquerque, N.M.
Acting U.S. Attorney James D. Tierney and Special Agent in Charge Will R. Glaspy of the DEA’s El Paso Division announced the results of the investigation this afternoon during a press conference in Las Cruces, N.M. Representatives of the U.S. Border Patrol, Homeland Security Investigations, New Mexico State Police, Dona Ana County Sheriff’s Department, Las Cruces Police Department and Sunland Park Police Department joined Acting U.S. Attorney Tierney and DEA Special Agent in Charge Glaspy in making the announcement.
In announcing the charges, Acting U.S. Attorney Tierney said, “This investigation and its resulting prosecutions are about taking control of our streets. The charges filed and drugs seized as the result of this investigation demonstrate the success of the collaborative efforts of our federal, state, county and local law enforcement agencies to root out drug traffickers operating in New Mexico and throughout the country. Through today’s announcement, the law enforcement community is sending a loud and clear message to those who traffic drugs in our communities that they cannot commit crimes in New Mexico without consequence.”
“Today law enforcement in New Mexico and West Texas has dealt a severe blow to a drug trafficking organization with ties to a Mexican drug cartel,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Glaspy. “Through the cooperation of numerous law enforcement organizations we have removed criminals from our communities who have been involved in smuggling, transporting, and distributing drugs.”
“The responsibility of protecting our borders and keeping our communities safe is a task to which we are committed. We are proud to partner with these other fine law enforcement agencies as we work together to protect our citizens and our future from the selfish criminals that look to profit by exploiting our neighborhoods and our children,” said Jeffrey D. Self, Chief Patrol Agent, El Paso Sector. “This entire investigation is a perfect example of an interdiction that continued into a perfectly executed investigation through a unified effort.”
“The results of this multi-agency operation reflects greatly on the partnership and commitment of dedicated men and women to combat the poisoning of our communities with highly addictive and dangerous drugs,” said Waldemar Rodriguez, Special Agent in Charge of HSI El Paso. “HSI is committed to continue working with our law enforcement partners to enhance public safety in our communities.”
The investigation, which was designated as part of the Justice Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program, targeted a DTO allegedly led by Luis Angel Briseño-Lopez, 30, a Mexican national believed to reside in Juarez, Mexico, and who has yet to be arrested. The multi-agency investigation revealed that the DTO allegedly imported large quantities of heroin, methamphetamine and cocaine from Mexico into the United States; distributed the drugs in several states; and transported drug proceeds back to Mexico.
Twenty-three of the 28 defendants are charged in a 44-count indictment, three are charged in two separate criminal complaints, and two will be charged in criminal complaints being filed today. Twenty-three of the 28 defendants are in custody, including 20 who were arrested during today’s law enforcement operation.
The 44-count indictment, which was filed under seal on April 19, 2017 and unsealed earlier today, alleges that the 23 defendants charged therein participated in a conspiracy to distribute heroin, methamphetamine and cocaine between April 2016 and April 2017. It also alleges that nine of the defendants also participated in an international money laundering conspiracy during that same period in time. The indictment also charges certain defendants with engaging in a series of substantive drug trafficking and money laundering offenses, and using communication devices (telephones) to facilitate their criminal activities. It charges one defendant with a firearms offense.
The indictment includes 77 overt acts allegedly committed by the defendants in furtherance of the drug trafficking conspiracy. The overt acts describe the expansive sweep of the DTO’s drug distribution operation and the significant quantities of drugs involved. For example, the overt acts allege that the DTO’s drug trafficking and money laundering activities extended to Kentucky, where law enforcement officers seized $15,300 in drug proceeds from a courier who was transporting the money to New Mexico in April 2016; Oklahoma, where law enforcement officers seized 4.44 kilograms of methamphetamine from a courier in June 2016; and New Mexico, where law enforcement officers seized six kilograms of heroin from couriers at a U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint in October 2016.
The indictment also includes forfeiture allegations, which seek to forfeit to the United States the proceeds of the DTO’s drug trafficking and money-laundering activities, including $56,556 seized by the DEA during the investigation. It also seeks the imposition of a money judgment in the amount of at least $1.4 million, the amount allegedly derived from the crimes charged in the indictment.
One defendant is charged in a criminal complaint with heroin and cocaine trafficking offenses arising out of the seizure of approximately 24.4 pounds of heroin and 2.45 pounds of cocaine at the U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint on Interstate 25 north of Las Cruces on March 10, 2017. Two other defendants are charged in a criminal complaint with heroin trafficking offenses arising out of the seizure of approximately 17.8 pounds of heroin by the Hatch Police Department during a traffic stop near Hatch, N.M., on April 20, 2017.
Two other defendants, who were not previously charged, were arrested during today’s law enforcement operation. They will be charged in criminal complaints to be filed today with drug trafficking and money laundering offenses.
“The citizens of New Mexico are safer today because of the collaborative effort between law enforcement agencies. When law enforcement agencies combine resources and assets, we are able to bring illegal narcotic traffickers to justice,” said Chief Pete Kassetas of the New Mexico State Police. “These cases are great examples of how local, county, state and federal agencies are working with State District Attorneys and the U.S. Attorney to prosecute those responsible for their crimes. This operation reinforces that there are consequences to those that choose to conspire to illegal narcotics crimes in our communities and state.”
“The Hatch Police Department along with the other agencies involved in today’s operation continue to have a strong relationship,” said Chief James Gimler of the Hatch Police Department. “We are honored to work hand in hand with our federal partners, the DEA and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in achieving the ultimate goal of keeping our streets safe.”
Doña Ana County Sheriff Enrique Vigil said, “I can say with confidence that our local law-enforcement agencies are committed to doing all that we can to bring fugitives to justice, and will continue working together to make our great state of New Mexico a safe place. In doing that, I will continue to pledge every resource available from the Doña Ana County Sheriff’s Department towards that goal.”
“The Las Cruces Police Department is proud of the working relationship we have with other local and federal law enforcement agencies,” said Chief Jaime Montoya of the Las Cruces Police Department. “We rely on each other to help keep our communities safe from those who defy our laws.”
“Through partnerships within our federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, those communities and families affected by criminal activity can rest assured, that at the end of the day, we are all here to Serve and Protect. We want to be a part of making the neighborhoods safe again in order to ensure that our community can roam around freely without worrying about crime a foot,” said Chief Javier Guerra of the Sunland Park Police Department. “In keeping our community safe, I want to enlist their help by asking them to report anything out of the ordinary, suspicious behavior and domestic violence. It is the duty and responsibility of the community to watch-out for each other.”
The Las Cruces and Albuquerque offices of the DEA conducted the investigation with assistance from the U.S. Border Patrol, New Mexico State Police and Hatch Police Department. In addition, the Las Cruces and El Paso offices of Homeland Security Investigations, Dona Ana County Sheriff’s Office, Las Cruces Police Department and Sunland Park Police Department participated in today’s law enforcement operation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Selesia L. Winston and Sarah M. Davenport of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office are prosecuting the cases as part of the OCDETF Program and the New Mexico Heroin and Opioid Prevention and Education (HOPE) Initiative.
The OCDETF Program is a nationwide Department of Justice program that combines the resources and unique expertise of federal agencies, along with their local counterparts, in a coordinated effort to disrupt and dismantle major drug trafficking organizations.
The HOPE Initiative was launched in January 2015 by the UNM Health Sciences Center and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in response to the national opioid epidemic, which has had a disproportionately devastating impact on New Mexico. Opioid addiction has taken a toll on public safety, public health and the economic viability of our communities. Working in partnership with the DEA, the Bernalillo County Opioid Accountability Initiative, Healing Addiction in our Community (HAC), the Albuquerque Public Schools and other community stakeholders, HOPE’s principal goals are to protect our communities from the dangers associated with heroin and opioid painkillers and reducing the number of opioid-related deaths in New Mexico. The HOPE Initiative is comprised of five components: (1) prevention and education; (2) treatment; (3) law enforcement; (4) reentry; and (5) strategic planning. HOPE’s law enforcement component is led by the Organized Crime Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the DEA in conjunction with their federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement partners. Targeting members of major heroin and opioid trafficking organizations for investigation and prosecution is a priority of the HOPE Initiative. Learn more about the New Mexico HOPE Initiative at http://www.HopeInitiativeNM.org.
Indictment in United States v. Luis Angel Briseño-Lopez, et al., 17-CR-1032-RB
Summary of the Charges
Count 1 of the Indictment charges 23 defendants with participating in a conspiracy to distribute heroin, methamphetamine and cocaine. The statutory penalty for a conviction on this count is imprisonment for not less than ten years nor more than life and a $10 million fine.
Count 2 of the Indictment charges nine defendants with participating in an international money laundering conspiracy. The maximum statutory penalty for a conviction on this count is 20 years and a $500,000.
Counts 3, 20, 21, 31 and 39 charge certain defendants with substantive international money laundering offenses. The maximum statutory penalty for a conviction on this count is 20 years and a $500,000.
Counts 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, 11, 13, 15, 17, 22 through 24, 27, 28, 30, 32 and 33 charge certain defendants with using communication facilities to facilitate drug trafficking crimes. The maximum statutory penalty for a conviction on each of these counts is imprisonment for four years and a $250,000 fine.
Counts 6 and 29 charge certain defendants with possession with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of a mixture and a substance containing methamphetamine. The statutory penalty for a conviction on this count is imprisonment for not less than ten years or more than life and a $10 million fine.
Count 9 charges a defendant with distributing more than 50 grams of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine. The maximum penalty for a conviction on this count is imprisonment for not less than five years or more than 40 years and a $5 million fine.
Count 12 charges a defendant with distributing more than 50 grams of methamphetamine. The statutory penalty for a conviction on this count is imprisonment for not less than ten years or more than life and a $10 million fine.
Counts 14, 25, 35 and 36 charge certain defendants with possession with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine. The statutory penalty for a conviction on this count is imprisonment for not less than ten years or more than life and a $10 million fine.
Counts 16, 19, 26, 34, 37, 38, 40 and 44 charge certain defendants with possession with intent to distribute more than a kilogram of heroin. The statutory penalty for a conviction on this count is imprisonment for not less than ten years or more than life and a $10 million fine.
Count 41 charges a defendant with carrying and possessing a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime. The statutory penalty for a conviction on this count is imprisonment for not less than five years, which must be served consecutive to any sentence imposed on other counts of conviction.
Count 42 charges a defendant with managing or controlling a residence for storing controlled substances. The maximum penalty for a conviction on this count is imprisonment for 20 years and a $500,000 fine.
Count 43 charges certain defendants with possessing with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine. . The maximum penalty for a conviction on this count is imprisonment for not less than five years or more than 40 years and a $5 million fine.
Charges against Defendants
Luis Angel Briseño-Lopez, 30, a Mexican national believed to reside in Juarez, Mexico, is charged in Counts 1-4, 6, 13-17, 20-21, 23, 25-26, 29, 31-32 and 34-39 of the indictment. Briseño-Lopez has yet to be arrested and is considered a fugitive.
Francisco Luna-Rosales, 50, a legal permanent resident who resides in Albuquerque, N.M., is charged in Counts 1, 27, 29, 38 and 40-42 of the indictment. Luna-Rosales has yet to be arrested and is considered a fugitive.
Omar Fernandez, 21, of Albuquerque, N.M., is charged in Counts 1, 24 and 28 of the indictment. Fernandez was arrested this morning in Albuquerque.
Manuel German Ibarra, 32, of Albuquerque, N.M., is charged in Counts 1, 2, 22 and 31 of the indictment. Ibarra has yet to be arrested and is considered a fugitive.
Juan R. Gutierrez, 30, of Belen, N.M., is charged in Counts 1, 2 and 18-20 of the indictment. Gutierrez was arrested this morning in Belen.
Gustavo Hernandez-Loaiza, 38, of Albuquerque, N.M., is charged in Counts 1, 2 and 21 of the indictment. Hernandez-Loaiza was arrested this morning in Albuquerque.
Joshua Jande Carmona, 23 of El Paso, Tex., is charged in Counts 1-3, 5-8, 10-11, 14, 29-31 and 34-35 of the indictment. Carmona was arrested this morning in Arlington, Tex.
Alberto Terrazas-Ignacio, 24, of Albuquerque, N.M., is charged in Counts 1, 2, 6, 15-18, 20-28, 32-33 and 44 of the indictment. Terrazas-Ignacio was arrested this morning in Las Cruces.
Jose Manuel Ortiz-Campos, 28, a legal permanent resident residing in El Paso, Tex., is charged in Counts 1- 2 and 36-40 of the indictment. Ortiz-Campos was arrested this morning in El Paso.
Diego Armando Rivas-Aguilar, 23, a Mexican national, is charged in Counts 1 and 33 of the indictment. Rivas-Aguilar is in custody on a federal marijuana trafficking charge in the Western District of Texas and will be transferred to the District of New Mexico to face the charges in the indictment.
Edgar Dominguez-Cuellar, 30, of Sunland Park, N.M., is charged in Counts 1, 7-10 and 12-13 of the indictment. Dominguez-Cuellar is in custody on a federal alien smuggling charge in the District of New Mexico.
Rosa M. De Santiago, 43, of Sunland Park, N.M., is charged in Counts 1- 2 and 36-40 of the indictment. De Santiago was arrested this morning in Sunland Park.
Georgina Ramirez, 36, of Anthony, N.M., is charged in Counts 1, 36-38 and 43 of the indictment. Ramirez was arrested this morning in Anthony.
Jesus A. Flores, 39, a legal permanent resident of Anthony, N.M., is charged in Counts 1, 38 and 43 of the indictment. Flores was arrested this morning in Anthony.
Alfonso Rios, 36, of Santa Rosa, N.M., is charged in Counts 1 and 11 of the indictment. Rios was arrested in El Paso.
Vanessa Reyes, 26, of El Paso, Tex., is charged in Counts 1-2 and 29-31 of the indictment. Reyes was arrested this morning in Arlington, Tex.
Roderica T. Bahe, 24, of Albuquerque, N.M., is charged in Counts 1 and 44 of the indictment. Bahe was arrested this morning in Las Cruces.
Martin J. Contreras, 25, of Rio Rancho, N.M., is charged in Counts 1 and 25-26 of the indictment. Contreras was arrested this morning in Rio Rancho.
Elizabeth Monroy, 19, of Chaparral, N.M., is charged in Counts 1 and 36-37 of the indictment. Monroy was arrested this morning in Chaparral.
Daisy Hidalgo, 22, of Anthony, N.M., is charged in Counts 1 and 36-37 of the indictment. Hidalgo has yet to be arrested and is considered a fugitive.
Jazmin Lucia Soto, 19, of Chaparral, N.M., is charged in Counts 1 and 36-37 of the indictment. Soto was arrested this morning in Las Cruces.
Ricardo Terrazas-Ignacio, 19, of Las Cruces, N.M., is charged in Count 1 and 16 of the indictment. Terrazas-Ignacio was arrested this morning in Las Cruces.
Dulce Viridiana Rodriguez, 21, of Albuquerque, N.M., is charged in Counts 1 and 38 of the indictment. Rodriguez has yet to be arrested and is considered a fugitive.
Criminal Complaint in United States v. Jose Fernando Lucero, 17-MJ-617-GJF
The criminal complaint charges Jose Fernando Lucero, 24, of Las Cruces, N.M., with conspiracy and possession of heroin and cocaine with intent to distribute. The charges against Lucero arise out of the seizure of approximately 24.4 pounds (11 kilograms) of heroin and 2.45 pounds (1.1 kilogram) of cocaine by the U.S. Border Patrol on March 10, 2017, during an inspection at the U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint on Interstate 25 north of Las Cruces, N.M. The statutory penalty for a conviction on the charges in the complaint is imprisonment for not less than ten years nor more than life and a $10 million fine. Lucero was arrested on March 10, 2017, and remains in federal custody pending trial.
Criminal Complaint in United States v. Reyes, et al., 17-MJ-1042-SMV
The criminal complaint charges Maria Isabel Reyes, 37, and Roberta Guillermina Ornelas, 38, both of Horizon City, Tex., with conspiracy and possession of more than a pound of heroin with intent to distribute. The charges against Reye and Ornelas arise out of the seizure of approximately 17.80 pounds (8.10 kilograms) by the Hatch Police Department near Hatch, N.M., on April 20, 2017. The statutory penalty for a conviction on the charges in the complaint is imprisonment for not less than ten years nor more than life and a $10 million fine. Reyes and Ornelas were arrested today in Horizon City.
Additional Defendants
Gonzalo Dominguez-Cuellar, 24, of Sunland Park, N.M., was arrested this morning and will be charged by criminal complaint with participating in the drug trafficking and money laundering conspiracies charged in the indictment.
Ivonne Briseno-Lopez, 26, of El Paso, Texas, was arrested this morning and will be charged by criminal complaint with participating in the money laundering conspiracies charged in the indictment.
Charges in indictments and criminal complaints are only accusations. All criminal defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Briseno-Lopez Indictment Lucero Complaint Reyes ComplaintOhkay Owingeh Man Facing Federal Assault and Firearms Charges Arising Out of Assault on Tribal Police OfficerRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Ronald J. Martinez, 43, a member and resident of Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo, N.M., made his initial appearance this morning in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., on assault and firearms charges. Martinez remains in federal custody pending a preliminary hearing and a detention hearing, both of which are scheduled for May 1, 2017.
Martinez is charged in a criminal complaint with assault with a dangerous weapon and being a felon in possession of a firearm on April 20, 2017, on the Ohkay Owingeh Indian Reservation in Rio Arriba County, N.M. According to the complaint, an Ohkay Owingeh Tribal Police Officer responded to a call at a residence on the Ohkay Owingeh Indian Reservation regarding an alleged fight between and a woman over a firearm. When the officer arrived, allegedly assaulted the Ohkay Owingeh Tribal Police Officer with a stick while the officer was attempting to arrest Martinez.
The complaint alleges that officers recovered a loaded firearm at the scene, leading to the firearms charge against Martinez, who is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because of his prior felony convictions for assault resulting in serious bodily injury and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a violent crime.
If convicted on the charges in the criminal complaint, Martinez faces a maximum penalty of ten years in prison on the assault charge and the firearms charge. Charges in criminal complaints are merely accusations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case was investigated by Northern Pueblos Agency of the BIA’s Office of Justice Services and the Ohkay Owingeh Tribal Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elisa Dimas.
Nambe Pueblo Man Sentenced for Assaulting Intimate PartnerRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Anthony Nieto, 29, an enrolled member of Nambe Pueblo who resides in Zuni, N.M., was sentenced today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to 18 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for his conviction on an assault charge.
Nieto was arrested on June 21, 2016, on an indictment charging him with assaulting his intimate partner and causing her to suffer serious bodily injury. According to the indictment, Nieto committed the crime on Aug. 16, 2015, in Nambe Pueblo in Santa Fe County, N.M.
On Nov. 16, 2016, Nieto pled guilty to the indictment and admitted assaulting the victim on Aug. 16, 2015, by striking and kicking her, and causing her to suffer serious bodily injury. More specifically, Nieto admitted that the victim sustained bruising on her face, arms and lower extremities as a result of the assault.
This case was investigated by the FBI office in Santa Fe and the Northern Pueblos Agency of the BIA’s Office of Justice Services and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle T. Nayback.
This case was brought as part of the Tribal Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (Tribal SAUSA) Pilot Project in the District of New Mexico, which is sponsored by the Justice Department’s Office on Violence Against Women under a grant administered by the Pueblo of Laguna. The Tribal SAUSA Pilot Project seeks to train tribal prosecutors in federal law, procedure and investigative techniques to increase the likelihood that every viable violent offense against Native American women is prosecuted in either federal court or tribal court, or both. The Tribal SAUSA Pilot Project was largely driven by input gathered from annual tribal consultations on violence against women, and is another step in the Justice Department's on-going efforts to increase engagement, coordination and action on public safety in tribal communities.
MEDIA ADVISORY-- Federal and State Law Enforcement Officials to Hold Press Conference to Announce Results of Significant DEA-Led, Multi-Agency Law Enforcement InvestigationRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Acting U.S. Attorney James D. Tierney and Special Agent in Charge Will R. Glaspy of the El Paso Division of the DEA, will hold a press conference at 2:00 p.m., FRIDAY, APRIL 28, 2017, to announce the results of a DEA-led, multi-agency law enforcement investigation that culminated today with a major arrest operation. They will be joined by representatives of the law enforcement agencies that participated in the investigation and today’s operation.
WHO:
Acting U.S. Attorney James D. Tierney
Special Agent in Charge Will R. Glaspy, DEA, El Paso Division
Acting Deputy Chief Patrol Agent Jason E. Schneider, U.S. Border Patrol
Assistant Special Agent in Charge Jeffery Mayfield, Homeland Security Investigations
New Mexico State Police Captain Troy Weesler
Dona Ana County Sheriff Enrique Vigil
Chief Jaime Montoya, Las Cruces Police Department
Chief Javier Guerra, Sunland Park Police Department
WHEN:
FRIDAY, APRIL 28, 2017, 2:00 P.M.
WHERE:
DEA Las Cruces Resident Office
2290 East Griggs Avenue
Las Cruces, NM 88001
OPEN PRESS
NOTE: All media must present government-issued photo I.D. (i.e., driver’s license) and valid media credentials. Media may begin to arrive at 1:30 p.m. Inquiries regarding logistics should be directed to Alyssa Ferda at 505-224-1480 or [email protected].
U.S. Attorney’s Office Honors Citizens, Policymakers and Officers for Exceptional Efforts to Address New Mexico’s Opioid EpidemicRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – The U.S. Attorney’s Office today recognized fifteen individuals for their exceptional efforts to address New Mexico’s opioid epidemic and to attain the goals of the New Mexico Heroin and Opioid Prevention and Education (HOPE) Initiative during its Thirteen Annual Law Enforcement Awards Ceremony in Albuquerque, N.M. Acting U.S. Attorney James D. Tierney commended the following individuals for their important roles in solving the multi-faceted problems caused by the opioid epidemic:
Bernalillo County Commissioner Maggie Hart Stebbins, District 3, and Dr. William Wiese, Chair, Coordinating Committee of the Bernalillo County Opioid Accountability Initiative, were recognized for working with policymakers and local government to develop a coordinated response to the heroin and opioid epidemic through the Bernalillo County Opioid Accountability Initiative. Commissioner Hart Stebbins has been the driving force behind the Initiative, a multi-sectoral collective impact strategy to align the activities of governmental, non-profit, business and community leaders to strengthen the prevention, treatment, harm reduction, and law enforcement/criminal justice systems in Bernalillo County, and Dr. Wiese serves as the Chair of the Initiative’s Coordinating Committee. Through their efforts, Bernalillo County has taken significant strides in providing support and treatment for individuals struggling with addiction, increasing the availability of naloxone, providing medically assisted treatment (MAT) in its detention center, and raising awareness throughout the County.
Albuquerque City Councilor Diane Gibson, District 7, was recognized for her leadership role in promoting public awareness of naloxone, a life-saving medication that reverses the effects of an opioid overdose, is easy to administer and safe to use. Councilor Gibson kicked off a public awareness campaign in April 2016, to educate the community about naloxone, and to encourage those who keep narcotic painkillers in their homes or who have family members or friends who are addicted to heroin or prescription painkillers to keep emergency doses of naloxone on hand. Councilor Gibson was a leader in the effort that resulted in legislation making naloxone available in numerous city-owned facilities throughout Albuquerque and requiring that officers of the Albuquerque Police Department be equipped with and trained to administer naloxone.
Dr. Joanna Katzman, Medical Director, UNM Pain Clinic, UNM Health Sciences Center, was recognized for her critical role in the enactment of the first-of-its-kind legislation supported by the UNM Health Sciences Center to make a life-saving drug that reverses the effects of opioid overdoses more widely available to New Mexicans. House Bill 370 puts naloxone into the hands of law enforcement officers and makes the medication available to individuals undergoing narcotic replacement therapy and newly released inmates diagnosed with opioid addiction. Dr. Katzman previously played a key role in enactment of legislation requiring continuing medical education (CME) training in the treatment of chronic pain, and participated in developing the mandatory CME program for physicians and physician assistants that ensures that healthcare providers in New Mexico pursue evolving best practices in pain and addiction treatment.
Dr. Snehal R. Bhatt, Medical Director of Addictions and Substance Abuse Programs, UNM Psychiatric Center, was recognized for his outstanding efforts to improve access to addiction treatment in communities across New Mexico, exploring novel pharmacological treatments for addictive illnesses, and educating medical students, residents and medical professionals throughout New Mexico and across the country. Dr. Bhatt is part of the UNM Health Sciences Center team collaborating with the Indian Health Services (IHS) to combat the disproportionate misuse of opioids by Native Americans by using telehealth technology to provide training in best practices in chronic pain management to thousands of IHS health care providers.
Chief Medical Investigator Kurt Nolte, Medical Investigator Hannah Kastenbaum and Forensic Pathologist Karen Cline-Parhamovich of the New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator (OMI), were recognized for their outstanding contributions to combatting New Mexico’ opioid epidemic. OMI is on the front-line of the opioid epidemic. Through the leadership of Dr. Nolte, Dr. Kastenbaum and Dr. Cline-Parhamovich, OMI has emerged as integral information-sharing partner in the HOPE Initiative. OMI is working closely with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in an effort to create a real-time surveillance model for all drug-related deaths. Such model would be the first of its kind and would enable both health and public safety officials to work in lockstep to address this devastating problem.
Executive Director Jennifer Weiss-Burke and Prevention Specialist Lou Duran of Healing Addiction in Our Community were recognized for raising community awareness of the dangers of opioid abuse and addiction. HAC is a non-profit organization founded seven years ago by concerned parents and grandparents, and is dedicated to providing education and awareness about the heroin and opiate epidemic that plagues our state. HAC provides the voices for those who have lost their lives to addiction and for those who continue to struggle. Years before the rest of the country realized that the opioid epidemic was looming, Ms. Weiss-Burke, Ms. Duran and HAC were using their personal stories to draw attention to this critically important issue. The HOPE Initiative continues to be inspired by Ms. Weiss-Burke, Ms. Duran and HAC, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office is proud to collaborate with them on HOPE’s education and prevention efforts.
Susan McKee, Counseling Manager, Albuquerque Public Schools, was recognized for her outstanding work supervising and coordinating the Crossroads Counselors Program. APS’s seven Crossroads Counselors educate students on substance abuse and help students with drug issues overcome their problems so they may successfully further their lives and educations. Crossroads Counselors all have master's degrees, school counselor licenses and training in substance abuse counseling. Ms. McKee and the Crossroad Counselors support and participate in the prevention and education component of the HOPE Initiative by including Generation Rx, DEA and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in their substance abuse programs, and by providing guidance on HOPE presentations to ensure that they are relevant and relatable to teens and young adults.
Brittany Haggard, a Pharm. D. candidate at the UNM College of Pharmacy and 2016 Chairperson of Generation Rx, was recognized for her outstanding support of and participation in the prevention and education component of the HOPE Initiative. Generation Rx is an educational outreach program of the UNM College of Pharmacy that educates middle school, high school and college students, parents and senior citizens about the dangers of prescription drug misuse. Ms. Haggard and other Generation Rx members collaborated with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and DEA in presenting prevention programs to thousands of students in 2016.
Three law enforcement officers of the Drug Enforcement Administration were recognized for their outstanding support of and participation in the prevention and education component of the HOPE Initiative. Working with Generation Rx and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, they regularly participate in the Albuquerque Public Schools’ Parent Involvement Program (PIP). The PIP provides an alternative to long-term suspensions for students who are caught on campus with drugs or alcohol that requires students and their parents participate in a series of counseling sessions that help students get back on track by focusing on communication, problem solving and the effects of drugs.
The HOPE Initiative was launched in January 2015 by the UNM Health Sciences Center and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in response to the national opioid epidemic, which has had a disproportionately devastating impact on New Mexico. Opioid addiction has taken a toll on public safety, public health and the economic viability of our communities. Working in partnership with the DEA, the Bernalillo County Opioid Accountability Initiative, Healing Addiction in our Community (HAC), the Albuquerque Public Schools and other community stakeholders, HOPE’s principal goals are to protect our communities from the dangers associated with heroin and opioid painkillers and reducing the number of opioid-related deaths in New Mexico. The HOPE Initiative is comprised of five components: (1) prevention and education; (2) treatment; (3) law enforcement; (4) reentry; and (5) strategic planning. Learn more about the New Mexico HOPE Initiative at http://www.HopeInitiativeNM.org.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Honors 123 Officers and Citizens for Exceptional Contributions to Public Safety in New MexicoRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – The U.S. Attorney’s Office today honored 111 law enforcement officers, agents and investigators for their outstanding work on dozens of cases that led to the convictions of murderers, sexual predators, drug dealers, fraudsters, and other criminals during an awards ceremony in Albuquerque, N.M. Twelve private citizens and policymakers also were recognized for exceptional contributions to the Office’s public safety initiatives addressing the opioid epidemic, youth prevention and education programs, officer safety, and national security. The ceremony, held at the Vincent E. Griego Council Chambers of the Albuquerque/Bernalillo County Government Center, drew a large crowd of prosecutors and staff from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, leaders of numerous federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies, and representatives from the UNM Health Sciences Center, City of Albuquerque, Bernalillo County, Albuquerque Public Schools, and community organizations.
Acting U.S. Attorney James D. Tierney said the Office’s Thirteenth Annual Law Enforcement Awards Ceremony recognized the outstanding work performed by honorees in 2016 on a wide variety of investigations, including those involving violent crimes, narcotics trafficking, fraud and public corruption, and national security matters. It also distinguished the exceptional efforts of some of New Mexico’s most distinguished, dedicated, and deserving private citizens and policymakers. The efforts recognized during the ceremony represent only a small portion of the remarkable work performed by law enforcement and citizens on behalf of the communities.
“The many men and women being honored today exemplify the professionalism, dedication, and commitment to public service shown by law enforcement, private citizens, and policymakers throughout New Mexico each and every day,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Tierney. “This ceremony is a way to express our appreciation to the officers and agents on the front lines of justice, as well as the private citizens and policymakers who work tirelessly to make New Mexico stronger, safer, and more just.”
Former U.S. Attorney Damon P. Martinez also was honored during the ceremony for his service as U.S. Attorney for the District of New Mexico from May 2014 to March 2017, as well as an Assistant U.S. Attorney from 2001 to 2014. Mr. Martinez received accolades from the leaders of numerous law enforcement agencies. Dr. Paul B. Roth, Chancellor of the UNM Health Sciences Center, honored Mr. Martinez for collaborating with him in establishing the New Mexico Heroin and Opioid Prevention and Education (HOPE) Initiative, a program which seeks to protect our communities from the dangers associated with heroin and opioid painkillers and to reduce the number of opioid-related deaths in New Mexico.
The ceremony honored the achievements of law enforcement officers from a multitude of federal, state, local, and tribal agencies. In addition to law enforcement, the ceremony also recognized the achievements of private citizens who have improved the safety and lives of the citizens of New Mexico.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is charged with enforcing federal criminal laws in New Mexico, as well as with representing the federal government in civil litigation. The District is composed of approximately 80 Assistant U.S. Attorneys and approximately 91 staff members at offices located in Albuquerque and Las Cruces. Today’s ceremony recognized work undertaken in collaboration with the Albuquerque office of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. A separate ceremony in Las Cruces will recognize work undertaken in collaboration with the Las Cruces office.
Tony Torrez Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug Trafficking and Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Tony Derrick Torrez, 33, of Albuquerque, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court to drug trafficking and firearms charges. The plea agreement recommends that Torrez be sentenced to a term of imprisonment within the range of 93 to 101 months followed by a term of supervised release to be determined by the court. The plea agreement also requires Torrez to forfeit to the United States $64,000 in drug proceeds and firearms and ammunition seized during the investigation of the case.
The guilty plea was announced by Acting U.S. Attorney James D. Tierney, Special Agent in Charge Will R. Glaspy of the El Paso Division of the DEA, Special Agent in Charge Thomas G. Atteberry of the Phoenix Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Chief Gorden E. Eden Jr., of the Albuquerque Police Department (APD).
Torrez was charged in a federal criminal complaint in Oct. 2015, with possession of marijuana with intent to distribute and using and carrying firearms in relation to drug trafficking crimes. According to the complaint, committed these crimes on Oct. 21 and 22, 2015, in Bernalillo County, N.M. was subsequently charged in a five-count indictment with possessing marijuana with intent to distribute; maintaining a place for the purpose of distributing controlled substances; possession of cocaine, testosterone and its esters; possession of firearms and ammunition by an illegal drug user; and possessing firearms and ammunition in relation to a drug trafficking crime. The indictment asserted that committed these five crimes on Oct. 21, 2015, in Bernalillo County.
According to court filings, the federal investigation into Torrez began on Oct. 21, 2015, when APD received a tip about a suspect who shot and killed a child during a road rage incident; the tipster provided a residential address for the suspect. Based on the tip, APD officers conducted surveillance at the residence where they observed a man, subsequently identified as Torrez, load items into a Toyota sedan. APD officers later conducted a traffic stop on the Toyota after a woman drove away from the residence in the Toyota. Shortly thereafter, APD officers conducted a traffic stop on a Lexus sedan that drove away from the residence and identified the driver as Torrez. APD sealed and towed the two vehicles to the APD Crime Lab.
On Oct. 21, 2015, APD executed a state search warrant at the aforementioned residence where they found shoeboxes containing U.S. currency, paraphernalia and other items consistent with the use of marijuana and a substance believed to be “wax,” a concentrated form of THC oil processed from the marijuana plant. Thereafter, the DEA executed a federal search warrant on Torrez’s residence and the two vehicles and seized items and paraphernalia used for distributing marijuana and possibly for the manufacturing THC “wax” and oil. From the vehicles, the officers seized a bag with U.S. currency, marijuana, firearms and ammunition, a bullet-proof vest, a small amount of suspected cocaine, and drug paraphernalia. Court filings indicate that approximately $64,000.00 in cash was seized from Torrez’s residence and vehicles.
During today’s proceedings, Torrez pled guilty to all five counts of the indictment. In his plea agreement, Torrez admitted possessing marijuana in Oct. 2015 that he intended to distribute to others as well as illegal steroids for his personal use. Torrez also admitted possessing several firearms while he was using the illegal steroids to protect himself from the dangers of the drug trafficking business. Finally, Torrez admitted using his residence to store marijuana he sold.
Torrez previously pled guilty in Dec. 2016, to related state court charges arising out of the murder of a child during the Oct. 21, 2015 road rage incident, and was sentenced to a 16-year term of imprisonment. Under the terms of the plea agreement in the federal case, ’ federal sentence will run consecutive to at least 15 of the 16-year state prison sentence. remains in custody pending a sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque offices of the DEA and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and APD, with assistance from the 2nd Judicial District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul Mysliwiec and Nicholas Ganjei are prosecuting the case.