District of New Mexico
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Albuquerque Resident Pleads Guilty to Violating Federal Firearms LawsRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE - Jesus Ramirez, 26, of Albuquerque, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court to violating the federal firearms laws by unlawfully possessing a firearm.
Ramirez and his co-defendants Richard Porras, 30, and Jonathan Griego, 27, both of Albuquerque, were arrested during an ATF-led investigation that resulted in the filing of 59 federal indictments and one 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.
Ramirez, Griego 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, Ramirez pled guilty to carrying a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime. In entering the guilty plea, Ramirez admitted that on Aug. 4, 2016, he carried and used a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Ramirez further admitted that he was carrying a firearm loaded with ammunition while in the process of distributing methamphetamine and heroin. At sentencing, Ramirez faces a statutory mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison. A sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled.
To date, 23 of the 104 defendants have entered guilty pleas and one been sentenced. The remaining defendants including Porras and Griego, have entered not guilty pleas. Charges in indictments are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent unless found guilty in a court of law.
The case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of ATF. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul H. Spiers is prosecuting the case.
Nurse Practitioner from Santa Fe Sentenced to Probation for Unlawful Possession of Controlled SubstancesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Nicole Renee Broderson, 45, of Santa Fe, N.M., was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to two years of probation for the misdemeanor offense of unlawfully dispensing controlled substances. Broderson also was ordered to pay a $1,000 fine. As a result of this conviction, Broderson’s nurse practitioner’s license was suspended until May 2017, and she was required to forfeit her license to prescribe controlled substances.
Broderson was charged on Sept. 19, 2016, in a misdemeanor information with possession of “Ritalin” and hydrocodone from Jan. 2012 through April 2013, in Santa Fe County, N.M.
According to court documents, Broderson is a certified Nurse Practitioner who has been registered as a mid-level practitioner with the DEA since Oct. 2011, and is authorized to prescribe Schedule II, III, and IV controlled substances. From 2011 to 2013, Broderson practiced as a psychiatric nurse in Santa Fe, initially under the supervision of medical doctors. In mid-2012, Broderson began practicing as a solo-practitioner doing business as Broderson Psychiatric Services.
On Sept. 19, 2016, Broderson pled guilty to the misdemeanor information. In entering the guilty plea, Broderson admitted that from Jan. 2012 through April 2013, she issued to certain patients multiple, often overlapping prescriptions for “Ritalin” and hydrocodone that significantly exceeded the medically recommended dosages. Broderson further admitted instructing those patients to deliver the “Ritalin” and hydrocodone to her. Broderson admitted that prescribing, retaining, and possessing “Ritalin” and hydrocodone in this manner exceeded any legitimate medical purpose and was outside of the usual course of professional practice.
This case was investigated by the DEA and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy S. Vasquez 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.
Navajo Brothers from Kirtland Sentenced to Prison for Roles in March 2015 MurderRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Two brothers, both enrolled members of the Navajo Nation who reside in Kirtland, N.M., were sentenced today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., for convictions arising out of the March 21, 2015 murder of a Navajo man. Elijah Shirley, 31, was sentenced to 121 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release, and Michael Shirley, 32, was sentenced to 63 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release.
According to court filings, Elijah Shirley, Michael Shirley, and their brother Maynard Shirley, 38, were charged with murdering a Navajo man and assaulting the murder victim’s father. The defendants committed the crimes on March 21, 2015, in Fruitland, N.M., in San Juan County, N.M. The three men were indicted on April 14, 2015, and charged with killing the victim by stabbing him with a knife, and assaulting the victim’s father with a dangerous weapon and causing him to suffer serious bodily injury.
Elijah Shirley entered a guilty plea on Sept. 21, 2016, to a felony information charging him with voluntary manslaughter, and admitted stabbing and killing the victim in the heat of passion. On that same day, Michael Shirley pled guilty to a felony information charging him with being an accessory after the fact, and admitted that after they killed the victim, he assisted Elijah Shirley by burning a BMW vehicle and Maynard Shirley by helping him secure housing and transportation.
Maynard Shirley pled guilty on Dec. 13, 2016, to a felony information charging him with being an accessory after the fact to the offense of voluntary manslaughter. Under the terms of his plea agreement, Maynard Shirley will be sentenced to 42 months in prison followed by a term of supervised release to be determined by the court. Maynard Shirley remains in custody pending a sentencing hearing, which is scheduled for Feb. 13, 2017.
The case was investigated by the Farmington office of the FBI and the Shiprock and Kayenta offices of the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety, and are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Niki Tapia-Brito and Nicholas Marshall.
Las Cruces Felon Sentenced to Prison for Unlawfully Possessing FirearmRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Richard Isaac Quezada, 34, of Las Cruces, N.M., was sentenced yesterday afternoon in federal court to 46 months in prison for violating the federal firearms laws by illegally possessing a firearm. Quezada will be on supervised release for three years after he completes his prison sentence.
Quezada was arrested in March 2016, on a criminal complaint charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition on March 14, 2016, in Doña Ana County, N.M. According to the complaint, Quezada was arrested after he discharged a firearm and struck a vehicle. During a search incident to arrest, the officers found that Quezada was in possession of a loaded firearm and ammunition.
On July 20, 2016, Quezada pled guilty to a felony information charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm. In entering the guilty plea, Quezada admitted that on March 14, 2016, he possessed a loaded handgun and ammunition. Quezada admitted that he was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because his prior conviction for importing marijuana.
This case was investigated by the Las Cruces office of the FBI and the Las Cruces Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah M. Davenport of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office prosecuted the case.
Albuquerque Resident Pleads Guilty to Federal Methamphetamine Trafficking ChargeRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Ramon Quezada, 32, of Albuquerque, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court to a methamphetamine trafficking charge.
Quezada and his co-defendant Joshua Sedillo, 30, also of Albuquerque, were arrested during an ATF-led investigation that resulted in the filing of 59 federal indictments and one 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.
Quezada and Sedillo were arrested in July 2016, on an indictment charging them with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine on May 11, 2016, and Sedillo individually with distribution of methamphetamine on May 25, 2016. According to the indictment, the offenses took place in Bernalillo County, N.M.
During today’s proceedings, Quezada pled guilty to a felony information charging him with distribution of methamphetamine. In entering the guilty plea, Quezada admitted that on May 11, 2016, he possessed approximately 90 grams of methamphetamine which he intended to transfer to another person. At sentencing, Quezada faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. A sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled.
To date, 22 of the 104 defendants have entered guilty pleas and one been sentenced. The remaining defendants including Sedillo, have entered not guilty pleas. Charges in indictments are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent unless found guilty in a court of law.
The case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of ATF. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacob Wishard is prosecuting the case.
Albuquerque Man Sentenced for Defrauding Federal Food Stamp ProgramRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Sergio Escobedo, 38, of Albuquerque, N.M., was sentenced this morning to two years of probation for defrauding the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, more commonly known as the Food Stamp Program. Escobedo was also ordered to pay $4,678 in restitution to the USDA.
Escobedo is one of six defendants charged with defrauding the Food Stamp Program in a 32-count indictment that was filed in Aug. 2014. The indictment alleged that between Sept. 2009 to May 2010, Escobedo, conspired with Joseph Martin Padilla, 35, Wilfredo Lopez, 48, Joshua Moya, 35, Justin Quintana, 30, and Veronica Hernandez, 43, to defraud the United States through the unauthorized use of Food Stamp benefits, which are currently called Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. During this time, Padilla worked as a Family Assistance Analyst for the Income Support Division of the New Mexico Human Services Department (HSD) where he was responsible for determining applicants’ eligibility and benefit level for SNAP benefits.
SNAP is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and is administered by the States. The program was created to alleviate hunger and malnutrition, and permits low income households to obtain more nutritious diet by increasing the food purchasing power for eligible households. In New Mexico, individuals qualify to participate in SNAP based on income and need by completing an application with the Income Support Division of HSD. Once an applicant is deemed eligible for SNAP benefits by a Family Assistance Analyst, the Analyst establishes a SNAP account in the applicant’s name and electronic benefit transfers (EBT), which are determined based on income, resources and household size, are deposited into the account on a monthly basis.
According to the indictment, Padilla abused his position as a Family Assistance Analyst by conspiring with his co-defendants to defraud the United States through the unauthorized use of SNAP benefits. Padilla used names and personal identifiers he obtained from his co-defendants to establish fraudulent SNAP accounts, sometimes in exchange for cash or other things of value. Padilla also established and used a fraudulent SNAP account to fraudulently obtain approximately $1,468.00 in SNAP benefits for himself. Padilla fraudulently established 25 separate SNAP accounts through which the United States was defrauded of approximately $45,263.00 in SNAP benefits. Additionally, Padilla, aided and abetted by his co-defendants, fraudulently established SNAP accounts that were used to fraudulently obtain an aggregate of $12,705.00 in SNAP benefits.
On April 28, 2016, Escobedo pled guilty to one count of the indictment and admitted that he met with Padilla in Jan. 2009, and paid $100.00 for Padilla to process a SNAP benefit application in Escobedo’s name even though Escobedo was ineligible to receive SNAP benefits at that time. Escobedo further admitted that from Sept. 1, 2009 through Feb. 16, 2010 he obtained $4,678.00 in illegal SNAP benefits for himself.
Four of Escobedo’s co-defendants, including Padilla, have entered guilty pleas and have been sentenced:
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On Nov. 23, 2015, Padilla pled guilty two counts of the indictment and admitted that his illegal conduct resulted in an aggregate loss to the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the State of New Mexico of approximately $181,398.76. Padilla was sentenced on Feb. 22, 2016, to a year and a day in prison followed by three years of supervised release and was ordered to pay $181,398.76 in restitution to the USDA.
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On May 19, 2015, Lopez entered a guilty plea to one count of the indictment and admitted that he completed fraudulent applications for SNAP benefits in his name, another for himself in a pseudonym, and in the names of two other individuals. Lopez paid $100.00 to process each of the applications. Lopez was sentenced on Jan. 14, 2016, to four years of probation and was ordered to pay $8,382.00 in restitution to the USDA.
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On May 18, 2015, Quintana pled guilty to one count of the Indictment, and admitted that he agreed to pay Padilla a fee in exchange for arranging for him to receive food stamps unlawfully. Quintana obtained $486.00 in SNAP benefits through his illegal conduct, and received a fee for collecting SNAP applications from six other people and delivering the completed applications to Padilla for the purpose of assisting them in obtaining SPA benefits unlawfully. Quintana caused a monetary loss to the U.S. Department of Agriculture of $9,384.00. He was sentenced on Aug. 17, 2015, to three years of probation and was ordered to pay $9,384.00 in restitution.
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On March 9, 2015, Moya pled guilty to one count of the indictment and admitted that he fraudulently obtained SNAP benefits to which he was not entitled. On May 6, 2015, Moya was sentenced to six months in prison, or time served, followed by three years of supervised release. Moya also was ordered to pay $2,444.00 in restitution.
The fifth co-defendant, Veronica Hernandez, entered into a pre-trial diversion agreement in 2015, and completed a pre-trial diversion program in 2016. On Oct. 20, 2016, the Court entered an order dismissing the charges against Hernandez.
This case was investigated by the Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Office of Inspector General for New Mexico Human Services, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean J. Sullivan.
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Sandia Pueblo Man Pleads Guilty to Violating Federal Firearms LawsRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Robert Lorenzo Perea, 32, of Sandia Pueblo, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to violating federal firearms laws.
Perea was arrested in Nov. 2016, on an indictment charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition on Jan. 31, 2016, in Sandoval County, N.M. According to the indictment, Perea was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because he previously had been convicted of child abuse and false imprisonment.
During today’s proceedings, Perea pled guilty to the indictment. In entering the guilty plea, Perea, admitted that on March 29, 2010, he was convicted of two counts of child abuse and false imprisonment and was therefore prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition on Jan. 31, 2016.
At sentencing, Perea faces a maximum penalty of ten years in federal prison. He 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 Sandia Pueblo Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Spindle is prosecuting the case.
Former APS Kindergarten Teacher Sentenced to 78 Months in Prison for Federal Child Pornography ConvictionRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Joshua Weitz, 40, of Albuquerque, N.M., was sentenced late yesterday afternoon to 78 months of imprisonment to be followed by 15 years of supervised release for his conviction on child pornography charges. Weitz will be required to register as a sex offender when he completes his prison sentence. Weitz also was ordered to pay $1000 to each of three victims who requested restitution.
Weitz was arrested Nov. 11, 2015, on a criminal complaint charging him with distributing, receiving and possessing visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. According to the criminal complaint, Weitz committed the crimes in Oct. 2015, in Bernalillo County. At the time, Weitz was employed as a kindergarten teacher by the Albuquerque Pubic Schools (APS). APS suspended Weitz’s employment following his arrest in early Nov. 2015, on related state charges and subsequently terminated his employment.
The investigation into Weitz began on Oct. 11, 2015, when an agent of the New Mexico Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force identified a computer with an IP address later determined to be subscribed to Weitz that was being used to share child pornography files. Between Oct. 11, 2015 and Oct. 22, 2015, investigators downloaded numerous child pornography files from the computer at Weitz’s IP address. On Nov. 4, 2015, a state court search warrant was executed at Weitz’ residence and ICAC Task Force agents found that Weitz possessed a computer containing numerous files of child pornography. Weitz was arrested that day on related state charges, which were later dismissed in favor of federal prosecution.
Weitz was indicted on Dec. 2, 2015, and was charged with four counts of distributing child pornography and two counts of possessing child pornography. According to the indictment, Weitz distributed child pornography on four occasions in Oct. 2015 and possessed child pornography between Feb. 2013 and Nov. 2015.
On Aug. 24, 2016, Weitz pled guilty to Counts 4 and 5 of the indictment, the two possession of child pornography charges. In entering the guilty plea, Weitz admitted from Feb. 4, 2013 through Nov. 4, 2015, he downloaded videos and images of child pornography from the internet and saved them on two computers. One computer contained approximately 250 images and 358 videos of child pornography. The other computer contained approximately 34 images and 77 videos of child pornography.
This case was investigated by the New Mexico ICAC Task Force, the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office, the Albuquerque office of the FBI and the New Mexico Regional Computer Forensics Laboratory with assistance from the New Mexico Office of the Attorney General. 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 Office of the New Mexico Attorney General. Anyone with information relating to suspected child predators and suspected child abuse is encouraged to contact federal or local law enforcement.
Albuquerque Felon Pleads Guilty to Unlawful Possession of FirearmsRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Jarvis Johnson, 28, of Albuquerque, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court to being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. Under the terms of his plea agreement, Johnson will be sentenced to 70 months in prison followed by a term of supervised release to be determined by the court.
Johnson was arrested on Dec. 16, 2015, on a five-count indictment charging him with being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition on June 1, 2015, June 2, 2015, and Sept. 16, 2015, and distributing methamphetamine, heroin and marijuana on June 2, 2015. According to the indictment, Johnson was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because of his prior felony conviction for distribution of methamphetamine. The indictment included forfeiture provisions requiring Johnson to forfeit $6,850 to the United States.
During today’s proceedings, Johnson pled guilty to a felony information charging him with being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. In entering the guilty plea, Johnson admitted that on Sept. 16, 2015, in Bernalillo County, N.M., he sold three firearms and multiple rounds of ammunition to an undercover law enforcement agent. Johnson acknowledged that he was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because of his prior felony conviction. Johnson 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 Las Cruces Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Shana B. Long is prosecuting the case.
Acoma Pueblo Man Sentenced for Misdemeanor Assault ConvictionRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Randall James Martinez, 25, an enrolled member of the Acoma Pueblo who resides in Los Lunas, N.M., was sentenced today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to nine months in prison for his misdemeanor assault conviction. Martinez will be on supervised release for one year following his prison sentence. Martinez was also ordered to pay $3,123.63 in restitution to cover the victim’s medical expenses.
Martinez was arrested on Jan. 11, 2016, on a criminal complaint charging him with assault by striking resulting in serious bodily injury. According to the complaint, Martinez assaulted his intimate partner, an Acoma Pueblo woman, by placing his knees on the victim’s stomach and chest, restricting her breathing, covering her mouth with his hands, and pulling out one of the victim’s teeth.
Martinez subsequently was indicted on Jan. 26, 2016, and charge with assault resulting in serious bodily injury on Dec. 22, 2015, in Acoma Pueblo in Cibola County, N.M.
On Aug. 15, 2016, Martinez pled guilty to a misdemeanor information charging him with assault by striking, beating and wounding. In entering the guilty plea, Martinez admitted that on Dec. 22, 2015, he assaulted his intimate partner by restraining her with his knees and covering her mouth his hand. Martinez further admitted that when he removed his hand from the victim’s mouth he pulled out one of the victim’s lower teeth. The victim sustained bruises, scratches and a missing lower tooth as a result of the assault.
This case was investigated by the Laguna/Acoma Agency of the BIA’s Office of Justice Services and the Acoma Pueblo Tribal Police Department, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Raquel Ruiz-Velez and Elaine Y. Ramirez.
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.
Statement of U.S. Attorney Damon P. Martinez on Passing of Lea County Sheriff Steve AckermanRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – U.S. Attorney Damon P. Martinez made the following statement upon learning of the death of Lea County Sheriff Steve Ackerman following a vehicle crash on January 17, 2017:
“I had the privilege of working with Sheriff Ackerman on the Executive Board of the New Mexico High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HITDA), and came to know him as a valued law enforcement partner and friend who was deeply committed to the safety and welfare not only of the residents of Lea County, but all New Mexicans.
“Sheriff Ackerman was a proud member of the Lea County Sheriff’s Office for 15 years, and was elected Sheriff in 2014. He previously worked for other county law enforcement agencies and served as an instructor at the law enforcement academy, and sought out every available opportunity to improve his training and education because it enabled him to better serve his community.
“Sheriff Ackerman leaves behind a wife of more than 25 years and two children, who will need our prayers and support as they come to terms with his unexpected loss.
“Lea County is a stronger and safer place because of Sheriff Ackerman’s leadership, and he will be deeply missed by New Mexico’s law enforcement community.”
Mescalero Apache Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Child Sexual Abuse ConvictionRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Raybert Darin Ahidley, 30, 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 24 months in prison for his conviction on a child sexual abuse charge. Ahidley will be on supervised release for five years after completing his prison sentence, and will be required to register as a sex offender.
Ahidley was arrested on Feb. 8, 2016, on a criminal complaint charging him with sexually abusing a minor who was between 12 and 16 years of age in Otero County, N.M. According to the criminal complaint, the victim was a member of the Mescalero Apache Nation.
On Aug. 4, 2016, Ahidley pled guilty to a felony information charging him with sexually abusing a minor. In entering the guilty plea, Ahidley admitted that he was 29 years old when he engaged in a sexual act with the victim who was 15 years old at the time. Ahidley acknowledged that he committed the crime on the Mescalero Apache reservation in Otero County.
This case was investigated by 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 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/.
Las Cruces Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Methamphetamine Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Jason Harrison, 23, of Las Cruces, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court to methamphetamine trafficking charges under a plea agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Harrison and his co-defendant Ashley Valenzuela, 23, also of Las Cruces, were arrested and charged in a federal indictment with conspiracy and distribution of methamphetamine on July 1, 2016 and July 6, 2015, in Dona Ana County, N.M.
During today’s proceedings, Harrison pled guilty to the indictment. In entering the guilty plea, Harrison admitted that on July 1, 2016 and July 6, 2016, he worked with Valenzuela to distribute methamphetamine. Specifically, Harrison admitted that on July 1, 2016 and July 6, 2016, Harrison and Valenzuela sold methamphetamine to undercover law enforcement agents.
Valenzuela pled guilty to the same charges on Jan. 11, 2017. Valenzuela admitted that she and Harrison were working together and each had their own part in selling methamphetamine to the agents.
At sentencing, Harrison and Valenzuela face a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. Harrison and Valenzuela remain in custody pending sentencing hearings which have yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by the Las Cruces office of the FBI and the Las Cruces Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah M. Davenport of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
Arizona Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Cocaine Trafficking Charge in New MexicoRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Jesus Quiroz, 36, of Tucson, Ariz., pled guilty today in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M., to cocaine trafficking charges arising from the seizure of 72.1 kilograms (158.95 pounds) of cocaine at the New Mexico Port of Entry near Lordsburg, N.M.
Quiroz was arrested on Sept. 9, 2016, on a criminal complaint charging him with possession of more than 72 kilograms of cocaine with intent to distribute in Hidalgo County, N.M. According to the complaint, Quiroz was arrested after law enforcement officers at the New Mexico Port of Entry on Interstate 10 in Lordsburg seized 61 individually wrapped packages containing more than 72 kilograms of cocaine from a tractor and trailer in which Quiroz was traveling. At the time of his arrest, Quiroz was on probation for a state cocaine trafficking conviction in Arizona.
Quiroz subsequently was indicted on Dec. 14, 2016, and charged in a two-count indictment with possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, and possession of visual depiction of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct. According to the indictment, Quiroz committed the crimes on Sept. 9, 2016, in Hidalgo County.
During today’s proceedings, Quiroz pled guilty to Count 1 of the indictment charging him with possession of cocaine with intent to distribute. In entering the guilty plea, Quiroz admitted that on Sept. 9, 2016, he drove a commercial vehicle containing 72.1 kilograms of cocaine into the Lordsburg, New Mexico Port of Entry. Quiroz further admitted that he intended to deliver the cocaine to another person.
At sentencing, Quiroz faces a statutory mandatory minimum penalty of ten years and a maximum of life in federal prison. He remains in custody pending a sentencing hearing which has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the New Mexico State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brock Taylor of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
Albuquerque Resident Pleads Guilty to Meth Trafficking Charge Under Plea Agreement Requiring 84-Month SentenceRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Rumaldo Olivas, 27, of Albuquerque, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court to a methamphetamine trafficking charge. Under the terms of his plea agreement, Olivas will be sentenced to 84 months in prison followed by a term of supervised release to be determined by the court.
Olivas was arrested during an ATF-led investigation that resulted in the filing of 59 federal indictments and one 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.
Olivas was arrested in Aug. 2016, on an indictment charging him distribution of methamphetamine on July 27, 2016, in Bernalillo County, N.M. The indictment included forfeiture provisions requiring Olivas to forfeit $1,000. During today’s proceedings, Olivas entered a guilty plea to the indictment. He remains in custody pending a sentencing hearing which has yet to be scheduled.
To date, 21 of the 104 defendants have entered guilty pleas and one has 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.
The case was investigated by the Albuquerque offices of ATF. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul Mysliwiec and Letitia C. Simms are prosecuting the case.
Prior Felon from Las Cruces Sentenced to Federal Prison for Conviction on Firearms and Drug Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Michael Uribe, 40, of Las Cruces, N.M., was sentenced today in federal court to 63 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for violating the federal firearms and drug trafficking laws.
Uribe was arrested on Nov. 20, 2015, on an indictment charging him with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition on Sept. 17, 2015, in Dona Ana County, N.M. According to the indictment, Uribe was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because he previously had been convicted twice on forgery charges.
On April 22, 2016, Uribe pled guilty to a felony information charging him with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. In entering the guilty plea, Uribe admitted that on Sept. 17, 2015, law enforcement officers found 45.5 grams of methamphetamine, a revolver and ammunition in his hotel room during a consensual search. Uribe further admitted that he was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because of his status as a convicted felon.
This case was investigated by the Las Cruces office of the FBI and the HIDTA Regional Interagency Drug Task Force/Metro Narcotics Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dustin Segovia and Maria Y. Armijo of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office prosecuted the case.
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.
Mescalero Apache Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Child Sexual Abuse ConvictionRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Michael Bow Smith, 32, 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 46 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for sexually abusing a minor. Smith will also be required to register as a sex offender when he completes his prison sentence.
Smith was arrested on May 7, 2016, on a criminal complaint charging him with sexually abusing a minor in Otero County, N.M., on March 8, 2016.
On Aug. 29, 2016, Smith pled guilty to a felony information charging him with sexually abusing a minor. In entering the guilty plea, Smith admitted that he was 30 years old when he engaged in a sexual act with the victim who was 15 years old at the time. Smith further admitted that the abuse took place on the Mescalero Apache reservation in Otero County.
This case was investigated by 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 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/.
Former U.S. Postal Service Employee Sentenced for Conviction on Destruction of Mail ChargeRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Alonzo Gallegos, 33, of Pena Blanca, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to a destruction of mail charge. After entering his guilty plea, Gallegos was sentenced to six months of probation and ordered to pay a $250 fine.
Gallegos was charged in a misdemeanor information on Nov. 30, 2016, with unlawful delay and destruction of mail while employed as a U.S. Postal Service officer. According to the information, Gallegos committed the crime between Sept. 24, 2016 and Sept. 27, 2016, in Santa Fe County, N.M.
During today’s proceedings, Gallegos pled guilty to the information and admitted that from Sept. 24, 2016 through Sept. 27, 2016, he delayed or destroyed mail and newspapers.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eva M. Fontanez.
Former U.S. Postal Employee Sentenced to Probation for Conviction on Misdemeanor Destruction of Mail ChargeRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Christopher P. Vigil, 30, of Albuquerque, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court to a misdemeanor destruction of mail charge, and was sentenced to one year of probation and ordered to pay a $200 fine. At the time he committed the crime, Vigil was employed by the U.S. Postal Service.
Vigil was charged in an information on Nov. 16, 2016, with the misdemeanor offense of opening and destroying mail not directed to him. According to the information, Vigil committed the crime on Aug. 15, 2016, in Bernalillo County, N.M.
During today’s proceedings, Vigil pled guilty to the information and admitted that on Aug. 15, 2016, he intentionally opened mail not directed to him, and used his position as an employee of a postal unit to steal a gift card.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and is being prosecuted by Edward Han.
Albuquerque Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Methamphetamine Trafficking ChargeRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Marcos Montoya, Jr., 28, 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.
Montoya was arrested in Dec. 2015, on a two-count indictment charging him with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute on Feb. 20, 2015, and maintaining a place for the purpose of storing, distributing and using methamphetamine and marijuana from Dec. 2014 through Feb. 20, 2015. According to the indictment, Montoya committed both crimes in Bernalillo County, N.M.
During today’s change of plea hearing, Montoya pled guilty to possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and admitted that on Feb. 20, 2015, he possessed more than 500 grams of methamphetamine which he intended to distribute to other people. Montoya further admitted that he stored most of the methamphetamine in a storage locker, but sold some of the drugs out of his house in Bernalillo County.
The statutory penalty for the crime to which Montoya pleaded guilty is a minimum of ten years and a maximum of life in federal prison. A sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the DEA and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul Mysliwiec and Letitia C. Simms.
Valencia County Woman Pleads Guilty to Federal Heroin Trafficking ChargeRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Fabrienne Rosalinda Morales, 39, of Peralta, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court to a heroin trafficking charge. Under the terms of her plea agreement, Morales will be sentenced to not more than 24 months in federal prison followed by a term of supervised release to be determined by the court.
Morales and her co-defendant Christopher Gonzales, 20, of Rio Rancho, N.M., were arrested in Jan. 2016, on a five-count indictment charging Morales and Gonzales with conspiracy, Gonzales with possession of heroin and suboxone with intent to distribute, and Morales with distribution of heroin and suboxone. The indictment was superseded on Feb. 9, 2016, to add a new codefendant, Ismael Vargas, 29, of Belen, N.M., to the conspiracy charge. According to the superseding indictment, the three defendants committed the crimes charged on Aug. 2, 2015, in Sandoval County, N.M. At the time, Gonzales was a corrections officer at the Sandoval County Detention Center.
During today’s proceedings, Morales pled guilty to one count of heroin distribution. In entering the guilty plea, Morales admitted that on Aug. 2, 2015, she smuggled heroin to the Sandoval County Detention Center and gave it to a corrections officer. A sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled.
Gonzales and Vargas have entered pleas of not guilty and are pending trial, which is currently scheduled for March 2017. 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 the DEA. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward Han 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.
Prior Felon from Roswell Pleads Guilty to Violating Federal Firearms LawsRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Nathaniel Eddie Madrid, 39, of Roswell, N.M., pled guilty this afternoon in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M., to violating the federal firearms laws by unlawfully possessing firearms and ammunition.
Madrid was arrested on April 18, 2016, on a criminal complaint charging him with being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition and possession of a firearm not registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record (NFRTR) in Lincoln County, N.M. According to the complaint, law enforcement officers recovered three firearms, ammunition, marijuana and drug paraphernalia from Madrid’s vehicle. A search of the NFRTR also revealed that Madrid did not have any firearms registered in his name.
Madrid subsequently was indicted on Aug. 17, 2016, and charged with being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition on Oct. 26, 2015, in Lincoln County. According to the indictment, Madrid was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because of his prior convictions for possession of a controlled substance, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, breaking and entering, armed robbery with a deadly weapon, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Court documents indicate that Madrid was on probation for a conviction for being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition when he was arrested.
During today’s proceedings, Madrid pled guilty to the indictment without the benefit of a plea agreement. At sentencing, Madrid faces a maximum penalty of ten years in federal prison. He remains in custody pending a sentencing hearing which has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by the Las Cruces office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the New Mexico State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alfred J. Perez of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
Las Cruces Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Methamphetamine Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Anthony Margarito Berumen, 32, of Las Cruces, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court to methamphetamine trafficking charges. Under the terms of his plea agreement, Berumen will be sentenced within the range of three to ten years in federal prison.
Berumen was arrested on Feb. 9, 2016, on a criminal complaint charging him with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute on Dec. 9, 2015 and Dec. 15, 2015. The complaint alleged that Berumen committed the crimes in Dona Ana County, N.M. According to the complaint, Berumen sold a total of 4.6 grams of methamphetamine to undercover law enforcement agents during two transactions on Dec. 9, 2015, and one transaction on Dec. 15, 2015.
Berumen was indicted on Aug. 17, 2016, and charged with three counts of distributing methamphetamine. The indictment was superseded on Sept. 22, 2016, charging Berumen with distributing methamphetamine on Dec. 9, 2015 and Dec. 16, 2015, and distributing methamphetamine in the vicinity of a school on Dec. 9, 2015.
During today’s proceedings, Berumen pled guilty to the superseding indictment. In entering the guilty plea, Berumen admitted selling methamphetamine to undercover law enforcement on three occasions in Dec. 2015. He also acknowledged that the one of the drug transactions took place in a middle school parking lot in Las Cruces. Berumen remains in custody pending a sentencing hearing which has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by the Las Cruces office of the FBI and the New Mexico State Police and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Balla and Sarah M. Davenport of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office.
El Paso, Texas Men Plead Guilty to Federal Cocaine Trafficking Charge in New MexicoRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Ever Omar Valdez, 26, and Javier Cruz 26, both of El Paso, Texas, pled guilty yesterday in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M., to cocaine trafficking charges arising from the seizure of six kilograms (13.2 pounds) of cocaine at a U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint near Alamogordo, N.M., in Oct. 2016.
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.
During yesterday’s proceedings, 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 other individuals in exchange for money.
At sentencing, Valdez and Cruz each face a statutory mandatory minimum penalty of ten years and a maximum of life in federal prison. Both men remain in custody pending sentencing hearings which have yet to be scheduled.
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 is prosecuting the case.
Zuni Pueblo Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Involuntary Manslaughter ChargeRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Darold Ray ZunieFeathers, 20, a member and resident of Zuni Pueblo, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to an involuntary manslaughter charge.
ZunieFeathers was arrested in April 2016, on a criminal complaint charging him with involuntary manslaughter. According to the complaint, ZunieFeathers killed a Zuni Pueblo man when he ran over him with his vehicle on July 29, 2015, on the Zuni Indian Reservation in McKinley County, N.M. At the time ZunieFeathers ran over the victim, ZunieFeathers was driving under the influence of alcohol. ZunieFeathers was subsequently indicted on the same charge on May 10, 2016.
During today’s proceedings, ZunieFeathers pled guilty to the indictment and admitted killing the victim by driving recklessly while under the influence of alcohol. ZunieFeathers acknowledged that the alcohol rendered him incapable of exercising clear judgment and a steady hand in operating the vehicle.
At sentencing, ZunieFeathers faces a maximum penalty of eight years in federal prison. A sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by the Gallup office of the FBI and the Zuni Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Marshall.
Prior Felon from Artesia Sentenced to Prison for Federal Narcotics Trafficking and Firearms ConvictionRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Floyd Albert Sherrell, 34, of Artesia, N.M., was sentenced today in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M., to 57 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for his conviction on methamphetamine trafficking and firearms charges.
Sherrell was arrested on Sept. 1, 2015, on an indictment charging him with unlawfully possessing firearms on June 10, 2014, and distributing methamphetamine on June 12, 2014. According to the indictment, Sherrell committed the crimes in Eddy County, N.M. At the time, Sherrell was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because he previously had been convicted of larceny of a firearm and burglary.
On Jan. 26, 2016, Sherrell pled guilty to a felony information charging him with being a felon in possession of firearms and distribution of methamphetamine. In entering his guilty plea, Sherrell admitted selling four firearms to an undercover law enforcement agent on June 10, 2014, and selling 25 grams of pure methamphetamine to an undercover law enforcement agent on June 12, 2014.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Pecos Valley Drug Task Force and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria Y. Armijo of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office.
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.
Lincoln County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Meth Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Octavio Herrera, 54, of Ruidoso Downs, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M., to methamphetamine trafficking charges.
Herrera was one of 34 individuals charged in December 2015, with federal and tribal drug offenses as the result of an 18-month multi-agency investigation led by the DEA and BIA into methamphetamine trafficking on the Mescalero Apache Reservation. Eighteen defendants, including five members of the Mescalero Apache Tribe and 13 non-Natives were charged in six federal indictments and a federal criminal complaint. Sixteen other members of the Mescalero Apache Tribe were charged in tribal criminal complaints approved by the Mescalero Apache Tribal Court.
The investigation leading to the federal and tribal charges was initiated in May 2014, in response to an increase in violent crime on the Mescalero Apache Reservation perpetrated by methamphetamine users. The investigation initially targeted a drug trafficking organization that was allegedly distributing methamphetamine within the Reservation, and later expanded to include two other drug trafficking organizations in southeastern New Mexico that allegedly served as sources of supply for the methamphetamine distributed within the Reservation. In Aug. 2014, the investigation was designated as part of the Justice Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program, which 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 investigation is one of the first OCDETF investigations to utilize electronic surveillance (wiretaps) in Indian Country. More than ten kilograms of methamphetamine were seized during the course of the investigation.
Herrera was arrested in Sept. 2016, on an indictment charging him and his co-defendants Rumaldo Varela Enriquez, 46, a Mexican national and Johnny Flowers, 51, of Hobbs, with methamphetamine trafficking offenses. The indictment charged Herrera with participation in a methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy, possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, and use of a communication facility in relation to a drug trafficking crime.
During today’s proceedings, Herrera pled guilty to conspiracy and possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. In entering the guilty plea, Herrera admitted that between March 4, 2015 and March 12, 2015, he conspired with others to distribute methamphetamine in Hobbs and Lovington, N.M. Herrera also admitted that on March 12, 2015, he possessed 230.1 grams of methamphetamine which he intended to distribute to others. At sentencing, Herrera faces a statutory mandatory minimum penalty of five years and a maximum of 40 years. A sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled.
Seventeen of the 18 federal defendants including Herrera’s co-defendants have entered guilty pleas. The remaining federal defendant has entered a not guilty plea. Charges in indictments are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent unless found guilty in a court of law.
The federal and tribal cases were investigated by the Las Cruces office of the DEA, District IV of the BIA’s Office of Justice Services (Mescalero Agency), BIA’s Division of Drug Enforcement, Mescalero Tribal Police Department, Hatch Police Department, FBI and Lea County Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Terri J. Abernathy and Clara Cobos of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office are prosecuting the federal cases, and Mescalero Tribal Prosecutor Melissa Chavez is prosecuting the tribal cases.
Arizona Woman Pleads Guilty to Federal Heroin Trafficking Charge in New MexicoRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Karla Margarita Pena, 28, of Phoenix, Ariz., pled guilty today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to a heroin trafficking charge under a plea agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Pena was arrested in Aug. 2016, and charged in a criminal complaint with a heroin trafficking offense after the DEA seized approximately 561.90 grams of heroin from her during an interdiction investigation at the Greyhound Bus Station in Albuquerque. The heroin was contained in bundles concealed in Pena’s luggage.
Pena was subsequently indicted on Aug. 23, 2016, and charged with possession of heroin with intent to distribute on Aug. 12, 2016, in Bernalillo County, N.M.
During today’s proceedings, Pena pled guilty to a felony information charging her with possession of heroin with intent to distribute. In entering the guilty plea, Pena admitted transporting 561.90 grams of heroin to Albuquerque by concealing the heroin in bundles in a purse inside of a duffel bag. At sentencing, Pena faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. A sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the DEA. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly A. Brawley 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.
Texas Man Pleads Guilty in New Mexico to Misdemeanor Theft Charge for Stealing Prescription Pain MedicationRead the Press Release
Michael Adams, 52, of Horizon, Texas, pled guilty today in Las Cruces, N.M., to a federal misdemeanor theft of government property charge arising out of his theft of prescription pain medication being shipped by the Veterans Administration through the United Parcel Service (UPS). At the time he committed the crime, Adams was employed by UPS.
Adams was charged by a misdemeanor information filed on Dec. 12, 2016, with theft of government property on Aug. 21, 2013. According to the information, Adams committed the crime in Otero County, N.M.
During today’s change of plea hearing, Adams pled guilty to the misdemeanor information and admitted that on Aug. 21, 2013, while employed by UPS in Alamogordo, N.M., he stole a package containing prescription pain medication sent by the Veterans Administration through the UPS.
Under the terms of his plea agreement, Adams will be sentenced to two years of probation and will pay $537.54 in restitution to the victim of his crime. A sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of the Inspector General. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard C. Williams of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office 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.
Alaska Woman Pleads Guilty in New Mexico to Federal Narcotics Trafficking ChargeRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Katrina Tiana Brown, 33, of Anchorage, Alaska, pled guilty today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to a federal narcotics trafficking charge. Under the terms of her plea agreement, Brown will be sentenced to 60 months in federal prison followed by a term of supervised release to be determined by the court.
Brown was arrested in Dec. 2015, and charged by indictment with possession of phencyclidine (PCP) with intent to distribute on Feb. 8, 2013, in Bernalillo County, N.M.
During today’s proceedings, Brown pled guilty to a felony information charging her with possession of PCP with intent to distribute. In entering the guilty plea, Brown admitted that on Feb. 8, 2013, she possessed more than 100 grams of PCP while at the Greyhound Bus Station in Albuquerque. Brown acknowledged that she intended to distribute the PCP to others.
Brown remains in custody pending her sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the DEA and the Albuquerque Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Mysliwiec.
Siblings from Picuris Pueblo Plead Guilty to Federal Assault and Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Steven Archuleta, 26, and his sister, Cheryl Shemayme-Archuleta, 32, both members and residents of Picuris Pueblo, N.M., pled guilty Jan. 6, 2017, in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to assault and firearms charges. Under the terms of their plea agreements, Archuleta will be sentenced within the range of 84 to 156 months in prison, and Shemayme-Archuleta faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years of imprisonment.
Archuleta was arrested on July 21, 2016, on a criminal complaint charging him with assaulting a non-Indian man and a non-Indian woman with a dangerous weapon and using a firearm during a crime of violence on July 17, 2016, in Indian Country in Taos County, N.M. According to the complaint, on July 17, 2016, Archuleta shot at the victims from his vehicle, striking the male victim in the leg, groin and back.
Archuleta was subsequently charged on Aug. 10, 2016, in a four-count indictment with assaulting each of the two victims with a dangerous weapon, assaulting the male victim and causing him serious bodily injury, and discharging a firearm in relation to a crime of violence. The indictment charged Shemayme-Archuleta with aiding and abetting Archuleta in committing the four crimes. According to the indictment, the defendants committed the crimes on July 17, 2016, in Taos Pueblo.
On Jan. 6, 2017, Archuleta pled guilty to a felony information charging him with assault resulting in serious bodily injury and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. In entering the guilty plea, Archuleta admitted that on July 17, 2016, he fired four rounds at the victims’ vehicle, and acknowledged that the male victim was struck by shrapnel in addition to sustaining a gunshot to the leg. Archuleta also acknowledged that Shemayme-Archuleta drove the vehicle he was in during the shooting. Archuleta remains in custody pending a sentencing hearing which has yet to be scheduled.
Shemayme-Archuleta also entered a guilty plea on Jan. 6, 2017, to a felony information charging her with aiding and abetting the possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. In entering the guilty plea, Shemayme-Archuleta admitted that on July 17, 2016, she aided and abetted Archuleta when he shot at the victims’ vehicle by picking up the firearm while knowing that the firearm would be used to assault the victims, and driving Archuleta when he committed the assault. Shemayme-Archuleta 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 is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Adams.
Albuquerque Man Pleads Guilty to Failing to Update his Sex Offender RegistrationRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Daniel Roy Nard, 37, of Albuquerque, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court to violating the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).
SORNA, also known as the Adam Walsh Protection and Safety Act, requires that a convicted sex offender register in each jurisdiction where the offender resides, where the offender is employed, or where the offender is a student, and that the sex offender maintain current registrations.
Nard was charged by indictment on Dec. 17, 2015, with violating SORNA by failing to update his sex offender registration on Oct. 30, 2015, or thereafter. Nard was required to register as a sex offender and maintain an updated registration based on a federal child pornography conviction in Montana in 2007. According to the indictment, Nard was required to maintain an updated sex offender registration in Bernalillo County, N.M.
During today’s proceedings, Nard pled guilty to the indictment without the benefit of a plea agreement. At sentencing, Nard faces a maximum penalty of ten years in federal prison. He will be required to register as a sex offender after completing his prison sentence. A sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service and the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jon K. Stanford.
U.S. Citizen Living in Mexico Sentenced to Federal Prison for Methamphetamine Trafficking ConvictionRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Elizabeth Gallardo, 37, a U.S. citizen living in Mexico, was sentenced today in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M., to 30 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for her methamphetamine trafficking conviction.
Gallardo and co-defendant Yuriria Anahid Ramirez-Moreno, 33, a Mexican national, were arrested on May 13, 2016, on a criminal complaint charging them with conspiracy and possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. According to the criminal complaint, an officer of the Las Cruces Police Department (LCPD) arrested the women after finding them in possession of methamphetamine; Gallardo possessed 100.6 grams of methamphetamine and Ramirez-Moreno possessed 108.5 grams of methamphetamine.
Gallardo and Ramirez-Moreno were subsequently indicted on July 20, 2016, and charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine on May 12, 2016, in Doña Ana County, N.M.
On Aug. 29, 2016, Gallardo and Ramirez-Moreno both entered guilty pleas to felony informations charging them with conspiracy to possess methamphetamine with intent to distribute. In entering her guilty plea, Gallardo admitted that on April 29, 2016, she delivered 54.7 grams of methamphetamine to an undercover agent. Ramirez-Moreno admitted that on May 5, 2016, she delivered 56 grams of methamphetamine to the undercover agent. Both women admitted that they intended to deliver the 209 grams of methamphetamine seized from them on May 12, 2016, to the same undercover agent.
At sentencing, Ramirez-Moreno faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison followed by not less than three years of supervised release. Ramirez-Moreno remains in custody pending a sentencing hearing which has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by the Las Cruces office of the DEA and the Las Cruces Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark A. Saltman of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
More Than Fifty Pounds of Methamphetamine Seized During Four Drug Interdiction InvestigationsRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Seven defendants are facing federal methamphetamine trafficking charges in four cases involving seizures last week of more than 52 pounds of methamphetamine. Three of the cases are the result of interdiction investigations at the Greyhound Bus Station and Amtrak Train Station in Albuquerque, N.M. The fourth case arose out of a traffic stop on Interstate 40 in Bernalillo County, N.M.
Four men were arrested on Dec. 28, 2016, and charged with methamphetamine trafficking offenses after the DEA and New Mexico State Police (NMSP) seized a total of 10.75 kilograms (23.7 pounds) of methamphetamine during two interdiction investigations at the Greyhound Bus Station. The methamphetamine was allegedly concealed in various bundles inside luggage and a locked safe. Alvan Raylon Tillman, 26, of Phoenix, Ariz., is charged with possession of more than two pounds of methamphetamine in one case, while Lewayne Deray Jennings, 28, of Dayton, Ohio, Jerell Leveine Whitman-Crutcher II, 29, of Warren, Mich., and Marcus Bernard Harris, Jr., 21, of Southfield, Mich., are jointly charged with possession of more than 21 pounds of methamphetamine in a separate case.
Also on Dec. 28, 2016, Mario Sanchez-Ceja, 27, was arrested and charged with possessing approximately 8.28 kilograms (18.25 pounds) of methamphetamine in Bernalillo County. According to the criminal complaint, Sanchez-Ceja was arrested after law enforcement agents allegedly seized the methamphetamine from Sanchez-Ceja’s vehicle following a routine traffic stop on Interstate 40.
On Dec. 30, 2016, April Luna-Contreras, 21, and Esthela Contreras-Luna, 44, both of San Diego, Calif., were arrested on methamphetamine trafficking charges after the DEA and NMSP seized approximately 4.75 kilograms (10.47 pounds) of methamphetamine from them during an interdiction investigation at the Amtrak Train Station in Albuquerque. The methamphetamine was allegedly contained in bundles concealed under Luna-Contreras and Contreras-Luna’s clothes.
If convicted, each of the seven defendants faces a statutory mandatory minimum of ten years to a maximum of life imprisonment.
The cases against Tillman, Jennings, Whitman-Crutcher and Harris were investigated by the Albuquerque office of the DEA and the NMSP and are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly A. Brawley. The case against Sanchez-Ceja was investigated by the Albuquerque office of Homeland Security Investigations and the NMSP and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul H. Spiers, and the case against Luna-Contreras and Contreras-Luna was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the DEA and NMSP and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rumaldo R. Armijo.
Mescalero Apache Woman Sentenced for Federal Assault ConvictionRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Corinne Delphine Kinzhuma, 31, an enrolled member of the Mescalero Apache Nation who resides in Mescalero, N.M., was sentenced this morning in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M., to 30 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for her conviction on federal assault charges.
Kinzhuma was arrested on Feb. 26, 2015, on a criminal complaint charging her with assaulting a Mescalero Apache man on Dec. 12, 2014, by stabbing him repeatedly in neck, chest, arm and cheek. The assault occurred on the Mescalero Apache Indian Reservation in Otero County, N.M. As a result of the assault, the victim required a chest tube and admission to the surgical intensive care unit for continuous monitoring of his neck wound; he also suffered a fracture of the left radius.
Kinzhuma was subsequently indicted on June 17, 2015, and charged with assault with a dangerous weapon, a knife, with intent to do bodily harm and assault resulting in serious bodily injury on Dec. 12, 2014, in Indian Country in Otero County. On March 9, 2016, Kinzhuma entered a guilty plea to the indictment without the benefit of a plea agreement.
This case was investigated by the Las Cruces office of the FBI and 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.
Career Offender from Clovis Sentenced to 77 Months for Selling 20 Grams of Heroin to Undercover AgentsRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Shannon Lamont Jackson, 38, of Clovis, N.M., was sentenced yesterday to 77 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release for his heroin trafficking conviction.
Jackson, a career offender whose criminal history includes felony convictions for drug trafficking and violent crimes, was prosecuted under 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 felony convictions for federal prosecution with the goal of removing repeat offenders from communities in New Mexico for as long as possible
Jackson was arrested on Dec. 3, 2015, on an indictment charging him with distributing heroin on Sept. 6, 2015, in Bernalillo County, N.M. On Oct. 19, 2016, Jackson pled guilty to the indictment and admitted that in Sept. 2015, he negotiated the sale of approximately 20 grams of heroin with undercover FBI agents.
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the FBI and the Bernalillo County Sheriff’ Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Shana B. Long prosecuted 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 Resident Pleads Guilty to Violating Federal Firearms LawsRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Francisco Garcia, 19, of Albuquerque, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court to violating the federal firearms laws under a plea agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Garcia was arrested during an ATF-led investigation that resulted in the filing of 59 federal indictments and one 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.
Garcia was arrested on July 8, 2016, and charged by indictment with firearms and drug trafficking offenses. The indictment was subsequently superseded on July 28, 2016, and charged Garcia with distribution of methamphetamine on May 10, 2016 and May 12, 2016, and using and carrying a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime. The indictment included forfeiture provisions requiring Garcia to forfeit $1,440 to the United States.
During today’s proceedings, Garcia pled guilty to using and carrying a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime. In entering the guilty plea, Garcia admitted that on May 12, 2016, he possessed a firearm during the sale of methamphetamine to an undercover law enforcement agent. Garcia further admitted carrying the firearm for protection and to assist him in his drug trafficking crimes. At sentencing, Garcia faces a statutory minimum penalty of five years in federal prison. A sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled.
To date, 20 of the 104 defendants have entered guilty pleas and one has 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.
The case was investigated by the Albuquerque offices of ATF. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rumaldo R. Armijo is prosecuting the case.
Two Members of Taos County-Based Heroin Trafficking and Money Laundering Ring Enter Guilty PleasRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Two more members of a Taos County-based heroin and money-laundering ring have entered guilty pleas in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M. Elena Carabajal, 26, of Taos County, N.M., entered a guilty plea yesterday to a heroin trafficking charge, and Wilma Romero, 66, of Arroyo Hondo, N.M., pled guilty today to heroin trafficking and money laundering charges. Carabajal and Wilma Romero are two of nine defendants charged with heroin trafficking and money laundering offenses as the result of a 15-month DEA-led multi-agency investigation into a heroin trafficking organization led by Ivan Romero, 40. To date, six of the nine defendants have entered guilty pleas.
Wilma Romero and seven co-defendants initially were charged with heroin trafficking and money laundering offenses in an eight-count indictment filed in Dec. 2015. The indictment was superseded in Feb. 2016 to add Carabajal as a ninth defendant and five additional charges. The superseding indictment charged Carabajal, Wilma Romero, Ivan Romero, Ricco Romero, 29, and five other defendants with conspiring to distribute heroin from at least June 2012 through Dec. 2015. It also charged Ivan Romero, Ricco Romero, Melissa Romero, 37, and Wilma Romero with conspiring to launder heroin trafficking proceeds. The superseding indictment also included substantive heroin trafficking and firearms charges against specific defendants including Carabajal, as well as forfeiture provisions seeking forfeiture to the United States of any and all assets and property derived, either directly or indirectly, from proceeds obtained from the criminal activities charged.
Carabajal pled guilty yesterday to possessing heroin with intent to distribute, and admitted helping Ricco Romero distribute heroin. She also acknowledged that on Dec. 18, 2015, law enforcement agents seized $69,752 in cash and approximately 95.8 grams of heroin while executing a federal search warrant at the residence she shared with Ricco Romero, the couple’s vehicles and safes. Under the terms of her plea agreement, Carabajal will be sentenced to not more than 30 months in prison followed by a term of supervised release to be determined by the court. A sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled.
Today Wilma Romero entered a guilty to the money laundering conspiracy charge and a heroin trafficking charge. Under the terms of her plea agreement, Wilma Romero will be sentenced to not more than 24 months in prison followed by a term of supervised release to be determined by the court.
Four of their co-defendants previously entered guilty pleas in the case. On Dec. 5, 2016, Ivan Romero pled guilty to Counts 1 and 2 of the superseding indictment, charging him with participating in a heroin trafficking conspiracy and a money laundering conspiracy. Ricco Romero also pled guilty on Dec. 5, 2016, to participating in a heroin trafficking conspiracy and a money laundering conspiracy, and to possessing firearms in furtherance of his drug trafficking activities. Melissa Romero entered a guilty plea on Dec. 8, 2016, to Count 2 of the superseding indictment, charging her with participating in a money laundering conspiracy. Tyler Baker, 45, of Taos County, N.M., entered a guilty plea in October 2016.
According to the admissions contained in the plea agreements of the defendants who have entered guilty pleas as well as other court filings, Ivan Romero was the leader of a heroin trafficking organization based in Taos County. Ivan Romero and his brother Ricco Romero were responsible for purchasing quantities of heroin from suppliers in Albuquerque and Los Lunas, N.M. Other members of the organization acted as couriers and regularly transported large quantities of heroin to Ivan Romero and Ricco Romero in Taos County. Upon receiving the bulk heroin, Ivan Romero and Ricco Romero prepared the heroin for distribution by mixing or “cutting” it with other substances, repackaged it in smaller portions, and distributed it both directly and through a network of other drug dealers.
On April 2, 2015, law enforcement officers executed a state search warrant at Ivan Romero’s residence where they seized drug paraphernalia, 461 grams of marijuana, 30 grams of hashish, more than 300 grams of heroin and $64,920 in cash. Ivan Romero was arrested on state charges that day, and Ricco Romero subsequently assumed a greater managerial role in the heroin trafficking organization at that time.
Following Ivan Romero’s arrest on April 2, 2015, a state court set his bond at $90,000. Wilma Romero, Ricco Romero and Melissa Romero conspired to launder $90,000 in heroin proceeds to post that bond and secure Ivan Romero’s release from state custody. Ivan Romero soon violated the conditions of his release, was remanded back to state custody and a second bond was set at $150,000. In May 2015, Wilma Romero, Ricco Romero and Melissa Romero again conspired to launder an additional $150,000 in heroin proceeds to post that bond
On June 29, 2015, law enforcement agents executed a federal search warrant at Wilma Romero’s residence. In the course of that search, agents seized approximately 97.5 grams of heroin, a small amount of marijuana, drug paraphernalia, $73,288 and gold coins.
On Nov. 17, 2015 and Dec. 1, 2015, Ricco Romero distributed heroin to an individual working with law enforcement agents. Thereafter, on Dec. 18, 2015, law enforcement agents obtained and executed a federal search warrant at Ricco Romero and Carabajal’s residence and Wilma Romero’s residence as well as at another residence where Ricco Romero and Carabajal maintained a safe. During those searches, agents seized 96.8 grams of heroin, $70,562 in cash, and two firearms.
If the plea agreements are accepted by the court, Ivan Romero will be sentenced to a prison term within the range of 120 to 144 months, Ricco Romero will be sentenced to a 120-month prison term, and Melissa Romero will be sentenced to a term of probation. Pursuant to their plea agreements, Ivan Romero, Ricco Romero, Melissa Romero and Carabajal have agreed to forfeit $431,870 in heroin proceeds and firearms to the United States.
The investigation leading to the indictment was conducted by the Albuquerque office of the DEA, the HIDTA Region III Drug Task Force, New Mexico State Police, Taos Police Department, Taos County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy S. Vasquez 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.
Prior Felon from Carlsbad Sentenced to Federal Prison for Violating Federal Firearms LawsRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Travis Hayslip, 34, of Carlsbad, N.M., was sentenced today in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M., to 30 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for violating the federal firearms laws when he ignited the fire that destroyed the Quality Inn Hotel in Carlsbad on March 9, 2016. Hayslip also was ordered to pay $2.4 million in restitution to Choice Hotels for the damage he caused to the hotel.
Hayslip was arrested on March 31, 2016, by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) on a federal arson charge. According to the criminal complaint, on March 9, 2016, a fire was ignited and caused more than $2 million in damages to the Quality Inn, a hotel that was under construction at 4106 National Parks Highway in Carlsbad in Eddy County, N.M. The complaint alleged that Hayslip walked through a part of the hotel that was under construction and lit a piece of debris with a lighter. Hayslip subsequently was indicted on April 26, 2016, on the charge of maliciously damaging and destroying the hotel by means of a fire.
On June 29, 2016, Hayslip pled guilty to a felony information charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm. In entering the guilty plea, Hayslip admitted that on March 16, 2016, in Eddy County, he possessed a firearm despite his prior felony conviction for theft in Arizona. Hayslip also acknowledged that he was responsible for the arson that occurred on March 9, 2016, at Choice Hotels in Carlsbad, and was therefore liable for $2.4 million in damages caused by the fire.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Marisa A. Ong of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office prosecuted the case which was investigated by Special Agents from the Las Cruces office and the Phoenix Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and members of ATF’s National Response Team who worked jointly with the Carlsbad Fire Department, the Carlsbad Police Department, the Pecos Valley Drug Task Force, the Office of New Mexico Fire Marshal, the Office of the New Mexico State Fire Investigator, and Gilbert Police Department K9 Handler, to follow leads, investigate the fire scene, interview witnesses and suspects, and analyze available surveillance footage.
ATF’s National Response Team is composed of veteran special agents having post blast and fire origin-and-cause expertise; forensic chemists; explosives enforcement officers; fire protection engineers; accelerant detection canines; intelligence support; and audit support. The team also has technical, legal, and intelligence advisors and a fleet of fully equipped response vehicles strategically located throughout the United States to provide logistical support. The National Response Team, federal, state and local investigators work together to reconstruct the scene, identify the seat of the blast or origin of the fire, and determine the cause. In the case of bombings and arson fires, NRT members gather evidence to support criminal prosecutions.
Prior Felon from Artesia Pleads Guilty to Violating Federal Firearms and Drug Trafficking LawsRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Ronald Troy Bettencourt, 55, of Artesia, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M., to violating the federal firearms and drug trafficking laws.
Bettencourt was arrested on Sept. 1, 2015, on an indictment charging him with being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition on Jan. 23, 2014; distributing methamphetamine on Jan. 23, 2014; and being a felon in possession of explosives on March 18, 2014. According to the indictment, Bettencourt committed the crimes in Eddy County, N.M. At the time, Bettencourt was prohibited from possessing firearms, ammunition or explosives because he previously had been convicted of conspiracy to possess a controlled substance, embezzlement, and fraud.
During today’s proceedings, Bettencourt pled guilty to the indictment without the benefit of a plea agreement. At sentencing, Bettencourt faces a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. A sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated the Las Cruces office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria Y. Armijo is prosecuting the case.
Mexican National Sentenced to Prison for Federal Methamphetamine Trafficking ConvictionRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Massiel Segoviano-Fierro, 25, a Mexican national illegally residing in the United States, was sentenced today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to 50 months in prison for his methamphetamine trafficking conviction. Segoviano-Fierro will be deported after he completes his prison sentence.
Segoviano-Fierro and his co-defendant Juan Carlos Nieblas-Ruelas, 28, also a Mexican national illegally residing in the United States, were arrested in Nov. 2015, and were charged by criminal complaint with conspiracy and possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute on Nov. 23, 2015, in Bernalillo Country N.M. The two men were arrested after they attempted to sell approximately ten pounds of methamphetamine to an undercover law enforcement agent.
On Feb. 22, 2016, Segoviano-Fierro pled guilty to a felony information charging him with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. In entering the guilty plea, Segoviano-Fierro admitted that on Nov. 23, 2015, in Bernalillo County, he attempted to sell methamphetamine to an individual who unbeknownst to him was an undercover law enforcement agent. Segoviano-Fierro further admitted that he collaborated with Nieblas-Ruelas to obtain approximately ten pounds of methamphetamine to sell and distribute in Albuquerque.
On Jan. 22, 2016, Nieblas-Ruelas pled guilty to a similar felony information and admitted that on Nov. 23, 2015, he provided methamphetamine to Segoviano-Fierro knowing that Segoviano-Fierro intended to sell it to another person. Nieblas-Ruelas was sentenced on Nov. 1, 2016, to 72 months in prison and will be deported following his prison sentence.
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of Homeland Security Investigations and the New Mexico State Police and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David M. Walsh.
Mexican National Sentenced to Federal Prison Term for Trafficking Methamphetamine on Navajo ReservationRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Luis Rangel Arce, 45, a Mexican national unlawfully in the United States, was sentenced today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to 87 months in prison for his methamphetamine trafficking conviction. Luis Rangel Arce will be deported after he completes his prison sentence.
Luis Rangel Arce and his co-defendants Miguel Rangel Arce, 36, and Rogelio Santiago Quiroa-Valdez also Mexican nationals, were amongst eight San Juan County residents charged with federal narcotics trafficking offenses as the result of a multi-agency investigation led by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the HIDTA Region II Narcotics Task Force into methamphetamine trafficking on the Navajo Indian Reservation in northwestern New Mexico. The three men were arrested in May 2016 during a law enforcement operation that included the execution of two search warrants at residences in Shiprock and Kirtland, N.M.
The investigation leading to the federal charges was initiated in response to an increase in methamphetamine trafficking on the Navajo Indian Reservation in the Shiprock area, and was designated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program. This Department of Justice program 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. investigation identified eight defendants, who were charged in five indictments, through a series of methamphetamine purchases by undercover law enforcement officers. Law enforcement authorities seized more than two and a half pounds of methamphetamine, ten firearms, approximately $1,600 in cash, and a vehicle during the investigation.
Luis Rangel Arce, Miguel Rangel Arce, and Quiroa-Valdez were charged with methamphetamine trafficking charges in a seven-count indictment filed in April 2016. The indictment charged the three men with participating in a methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy between Nov. 2015 and March 2016, and with distributing methamphetamine on six occasions between Jan. 2016 and March 2016. According to the indictment, the defendants committed the crimes in San Juan County, N.M.
Luis Rangel Arce pled guilty on Aug. 16, 2016, to distributing methamphetamine on Jan. 11 and 14, 2016. In entering the guilty plea, Luis Rangel Arce admitted distributing 63.17 grams of methamphetamine to an undercover officer on Jan. 11, 2016, and distributing 55.3 grams of methamphetamine to an undercover officer on Jan. 14, 2016.
On Aug. 30, 2016, Miguel Rangel Arce pled guilty to participating in a methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy, and admitted that from Nov. 24, 2015 through March 17, 2016, he conspired to distribute between 500 grams and 1.5 kilograms of methamphetamine to an undercover officer. At sentencing, Miguel Rangel Arce faces a statutory minimum penalty of ten years and a maximum of life in prison.
Quiroa-Valdez also pled guilty on Aug. 30, 2016, and admitted that on Feb. 24, 2016, he distributed 85.5 grams of methamphetamine to an undercover officer. At sentencing Quiroa-Valdez faces a statutory minimum penalty of five years and a maximum of 40 years in prison.
Miguel Rangel Arce and Quiroa-Valdez remain in custody pending sentencing hearings, which have yet to be scheduled. They will be deported after completing their prison sentences.
The other five defendants were charged with methamphetamine trafficking charges in four other indictments. One has pled guilty and was sentenced on Sept. 27, 2016. Three have entered guilty pleas and are awaiting sentencing. The other two defendants have entered not guilty pleas and are awaiting trial. Charges in indictments are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent unless convicted in a court of law.
These cases were investigated by HSI’s Albuquerque office and the HIDTA Region II Narcotics Task Force with assistance from the Farmington office of the FBI, U.S. Marshals Service, and BIA’s Division of Drug Enforcement, Shiprock office of the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety, New Mexico State Police, San Juan County Sheriff’s Office, Farmington Police Department, and New Mexico National Guard. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elaine Y. Ramirez is prosecuting the cases.
The HIDTA Region II Narcotics Task Force is comprised of officers and investigators from the Farmington Police Department, San Juan County Sheriff’s Office, Bloomfield Police Department, Aztec Police Department and HSI Albuquerque, and is part of 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.
Las Cruces Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Methamphetamine Trafficking ChargeRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Ernesto Marquez Muniz, 31, of Las Cruces, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court to a methamphetamine trafficking charge under a plea agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Muniz was arrested on Sept. 15, 2016, on a criminal complaint alleging methamphetamine trafficking and firearms charges. According to the complaint, on May 24, 2016, Muniz sold approximately seven grams of methamphetamine and a handgun and ammunition to an undercover law enforcement agent in Dona Ana County, N.M. At the time, Muniz was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because of his prior felony conviction for distributing cocaine in the Western District of Texas in 2010.
During today’s proceedings, Muniz pled guilty to a felony information charging him with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. In entering the guilty plea, Muniz admitted that on May 24, 2016, he sold methamphetamine and a gun to undercover law enforcement agents in the parking lot of a motel in Las Cruces.
At sentencing, Muniz faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. A sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by the Las Cruces office of the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah M. Davenport of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office.
Cochiti Pueblo Man Pleads Guilty to Violating Migratory Bird Treaty ActRead the Press Release
ALBQUERQUE – Wayne Martin, 45, a member and resident of Cochiti Pueblo, N.M., pleaded guilty today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to violating the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. The guilty plea was entered without the benefit of a plea agreement.
Martin was charged in an indictment filed on June 15, 2016, with violating the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, which makes it unlawful to possess, offer for sale, or sell any migratory bird, or any part or product of a migratory bird. The indictment alleged that Martin offered to sell three hawks without previously obtaining permission from the Secretary of the Department of the Interior. According to the indictment, Martin committed the crime on Feb. 29, 2012, in Sandoval County, N.M.
At sentencing, Martin faces a statutory maximum penalty of two years of imprisonment and a $2,000 fine. A sentencing date has yet to be scheduled.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy Peña.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 95-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System, which encompasses 545 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 69 national fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resources offices and 81 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign and Native American tribal governments with their conservation efforts.
Alamogordo Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Child Pornography ChargeRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE –William Allen Patterson, 34, of Alamogordo, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M., to a federal child pornography charge. Under the terms of his plea agreement, Patterson will be sentenced to 78 months in prison followed by a term of supervised release to be determined by the court. Patterson will also be required to register as a sex offender when he completes his prison sentence.
Patterson was arrested on August 10, 2016, on a criminal complaint alleging that he possessed and received visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit activity from 2002 to 2012 and Aug. 10, 2016, in Otero County, N.M. According to the criminal complaint, the investigation into Patterson began in Aug. 2016, after Patterson admitted to a polygraph examiner that he was addicted to child pornography while undergoing a polygraph examination as part of the application process to be a Border Patrol Agent. On Aug. 9, 2016, law enforcement searched Patterson’s residence and found a hard drive containing at least 10,000 images of child pornography.
During today’s proceedings, Patterson pled guilty to a felony information charging him with receiving child pornography. In entering the guilty plea, Patterson admitted that on Aug. 9, 2016, he possessed a hard drive that contained numerous images and videos of child pornography which he had downloaded from the internet. Patterson remains in custody pending a sentencing hearing which has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by the Las Cruces office of Homeland Security Investigations and the Las Cruces Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marisa A. Ong of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office is prosecuting 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, visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/.
The case also was brought as a part of the New Mexico Internet Crimes Against Children (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 82 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.
Navajo Woman Pleads Guilty to Federal Child Abuse ChargeRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Sho’Nee Ganadonegro, 26, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation who resides in Albuquerque, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court to a child abuse charge. Under the terms of her plea agreement, Ganadonegro will be sentenced to a term of probation to be determined by the court.
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.
During today’s proceedings, Ganadonegro entered a guilty plea to the indictment. In entering the guilty plea, Ganadonegro admitted that on Nov. 1, 2015, she negligently 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. A sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled.
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 is prosecuting the case.
Las Cruces Man Pleads Guilty to Participating in Doña Ana County Cocaine Trafficking RingRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Juan Velazquez, 26, of Las Cruces, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M., to distributing cocaine and participating in a conspiracy to distribute cocaine in Doña Ana County, N.M.
Velazquez was arrested in Sept. 2016, on an indictment alleging cocaine trafficking charges. The 18-count indictment is the result of a six-month investigation, which was designated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) program, targeting a drug trafficking organization allegedly led by Joel Ibarra-Torres, 46, a Mexican national, that allegedly distributed cocaine in Doña Ana County.
The indictment alleged that Ibarra-Torres and seven co-conspirators, including several members of Ibarra-Torres’ family, participated in a cocaine trafficking conspiracy that existed from at least March 31, 2016 until Sept. 20, 2016. The indictment also alleged that Ibarra-Torres and two of his co-defendants participated in an international money laundering conspiracy. It also charged certain of the defendants with substantive cocaine trafficking offenses and with using telephones to facilitate their drug trafficking activity. The indictment included forfeiture provisions that seek the forfeiture of at least $31,620, constituting proceeds of the defendants’ alleged criminal activities, to the United States.
During today’s proceedings, Velazquez pled guilty to Count 1 of the indictment charging him with conspiracy to distribute cocaine and Counts 3, 5 and 8 of the indictment charging him with distributing cocaine. Velazquez admitted that from March 31, 2016 through Sept. 20, 2016, he agreed with his co-defendants to distribute cocaine. In entering the guilty plea, Velazquez admitted engaging in the following illegal conduct:
- On July 14, 2016, Velazquez arranged for a courier to pick up five ¼ kilogram packages of cocaine in El Paso, Texas, and deliver the drugs to him in Las Cruces;
- On July 25, 2016, Velazquez paid $10,000 to a source of supply in Mexico for cocaine he previously obtained from the source;
- On Aug. 25, 2016, Velasquez arranged for a courier to pick up six ¼ kilogram packages of cocaine in El Paso, and deliver the drugs to him in Las Cruces; and
- Velazquez distributed 250 gram quantities of cocaine to an individual working with law enforcement on the following three dates: June 8, 2016, July 14, 2016, and Aug. 25, 2016.
At sentencing, Velazquez faces a statutory mandatory minimum of five years and a maximum of 40 years in federal prison. He remains in custody pending a sentencing hearing which has yet to be scheduled.
On Dec. 20, 2016, Joel Ibarra, Jr., 21, of Sunland Park, N.M., pled guilty to Count 1 of the indictment charging him with conspiracy to distribute cocaine and Count 2 of the indictment charging him with money laundering. In entering the guilty plea, Ibarra admitted that from June 2016 through Sept. 20, 2016, he agreed with his co-defendants to distribute between 500 grams and 2 kilograms of cocaine which was smuggled into the United States from Mexico in ¼ kilogram packages and then delivered to other individuals. Ibarra further admitted that on Aug. 3, 2016, he transported $3,582 in drug proceeds through the Port of Entry in El Paso to deliver to the source of supply in Mexico. Under the terms of his plea agreement, Ibarra will be sentenced to 27 months in prison followed by a term of supervised release to be determined by the court. A sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled.
On Dec. 19, 2016, Gabriela Castro, 24, a legal permanent resident from El Paso, pled guilty to Count 1 of the indictment charging her with conspiracy to distribute cocaine. In entering the guilty plea, Castro admitted that on Aug. 26, 2016, she attempted to smuggle approximately 250 grams of cocaine into the United States from Mexico in exchange for payment. At sentencing, Castro faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. A sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled.
The remaining co-defendants, with the exception of Ibarra-Torres, who has yet to be arrested and is considered a fugitive, have entered pleas of not guilty pending trial. Charges in indictments are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent unless found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The investigation leading to the indictment was conducted by the Las Cruces office of the DEA, the U.S. Border Patrol and the FBI. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Terri J. Abernathy and Sarah M. Davenport of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch office.
Mescalero Apache Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Sexual Abuse ChargeRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Darwin Neal Kinzhuma, 51, 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 a sexual abuse charge. Under the terms of his plea agreement, Kinzhuma will be sentenced to 81 months in prison followed by a term of supervised release to be determined by the court. 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.
During today’s proceedings, 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. He remains in custody pending a sentencing hearing which has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by the Mescalero Agency of the BIA’s Office of Justice Services and is being 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.
Federal Grand Jury Files Indictment Charging David Hickman with Using Fire to Damage or Destroy Building Used in Interstate CommerceRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A federal grand jury returned a one-count indictment yesterday afternoon charging David A. Hickman, 28, of Albuquerque, N.M., with using fire to damage and destroy a building used in interstate commerce. Hickman is scheduled to be arraigned on the indictment on Jan. 3, 2017.
The indictment alleges that on Nov. 26, 2016, Hickman maliciously damaged and destroyed, and attempted to damage and destroy, by means of fire, a building, an Old Navy store located in Albuquerque, used in interstate commerce.
Hickman was arrested on Nov. 28, 2016 on a criminal complaint alleging the same offense as the crime charged in the indictment. He remains in federal custody pending trial on judicial findings that he poses a risk of flight and a danger to the community.
According to the criminal complaint, officers of the Albuquerque Police Department (APD) arrested Hickman in the early hours of Nov. 26, 2016, and later transferred him into the custody of the FBI. Hickman was arrested shortly after an APD officer responded to the Pavilions at San Mateo shopping center after hearing “small explosions” coming from the area. The criminal complaint alleges that, when the officer arrived at the shopping center, he observed Hickman running into and out of the Old Navy store located in the shopping center, which was on fire.
If convicted on the crime charged in the indictment, Hickman faces a statutory penalty of not less than five years and not more than 20 years in prison. Charges in indictments are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent unless found guilty in a court of law.
The investigation of this case, which is continuing, is being conducted by the Albuquerque Division of the FBI, ATF in Albuquerque, ATF’s National Response Team, APD and the Albuquerque Fire Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Fred J. Federici is prosecuting the case.
Hickman IndictmentSunland Park, N.M., Man Pleads Guilty to Participating in Doña Ana County Cocaine Trafficking RingRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Joel Ibarra, Jr., 21, of Sunland Park, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M., to participating in a conspiracy to distribute cocaine in Doña Ana County, N.M. Under the terms of his plea agreement, Ibarra will be sentenced to 27 months in prison followed by a term of supervised release to be determined by the court.
Ibarra was arrested in Sept. 2016, on an indictment alleging cocaine trafficking charges. The 18-count indictment is the result of a six-month investigation, which was designated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) program, targeting a drug trafficking organization allegedly led by Joel Ibarra-Torres, 46, a Mexican national, that allegedly distributed cocaine in Doña Ana County.
The indictment alleged that Ibarra-Torres and seven co-conspirators, including several members of Ibarra-Torres’ family, participated in a cocaine trafficking conspiracy that existed from at least March 31, 2016 until Sept. 20, 2016. The indictment also alleged that Ibarra-Torres and two of his co-defendants participated in an international money laundering conspiracy. It also charged certain of the defendants with substantive cocaine trafficking offenses and with using telephones to facilitate their drug trafficking activity. The indictment included forfeiture provisions that seek the forfeiture of at least $31,620, constituting proceeds of the defendants’ alleged criminal activities, to the United States.
During today’s proceedings, Ibarra pled guilty to Count 1 of the indictment charging him with conspiracy to distribute cocaine and Count 2 of the indictment charging him with money laundering. In entering the guilty plea, Ibarra admitted that from June 2016 through Sept. 20, 2016, he agreed with his co-defendants to distribute between 500 grams and 2 kilograms of cocaine which was smuggled into the United States from Mexico in ¼ kilogram packages and then delivered to other individuals. Ibarra further admitted that on Aug. 3, 2016, he transported $3,582 in drug proceeds through the Port of Entry in El Paso, Texas, to deliver to the source of supply in Mexico. A sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled.
On Dec. 19, 2016, Gabriela Castro, 24, a legal permanent resident from El Paso, pled guilty to Count 1 of the indictment charging her with conspiracy to distribute cocaine. In entering the guilty plea, Castro admitted that on Aug. 26, 2016, she attempted to smuggle approximately 250 grams of cocaine into the United States from Mexico in exchange for payment. At sentencing, Castro faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. A sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled.
The remaining five co-defendants with the exception of Ibarra-Torres, who has yet to be arrested and is considered a fugitive, have entered pleas of not guilty pending trial. Charges in indictments are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent unless found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The investigation leading to the indictment was conducted by the Las Cruces office of the DEA, the U.S. Border Patrol and the FBI. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Terri J. Abernathy and Sarah M. Davenport of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch office.