District of New Mexico
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Albuquerque Felon Sentenced to Prison for Federal Firearms ConvictionRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Marcos Barela, 28, of Albuquerque, N.M., was sentenced today in federal court to 70 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for violating the federal firearms laws.
Barela was charged by federal indictment on Oct. 7, 2015, with unlawfully possessing a firearm and ammunition on May 4, 2015, in Bernalillo County, N.M. According to the indictment, Barela was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because of his prior criminal history, which includes felony convictions for embezzlement, robbery, conspiracy to commit robbery, possession of a controlled substance, battery on a peace officer, arson and criminal damage to property.
Barela was arrested on a warrant for a state probation violation on May 4, 2015. Barela subsequently was arrested on the federal indictment Jan. 21, 2016, after he was transferred to federal custody from state custody.
On April 1, 2016, Barela pled guilty to the indictment and admitted that on May 4, 2015, he possessed a loaded firearm, which was in his pants’ pocket when he was arrested.
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque offices of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the DEA with assistance from the 2nd Judicial District Attorney’s Office and the Probation and Parole Division of the New Mexico Corrections Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David M. Walsh prosecuted the case 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 criminal convictions for federal prosecution with the goal of removing repeat offenders from communities in New Mexico for as long as possible. Because New Mexico’s violent crime rate, on a per capita basis, is one of the highest in the nation, New Mexico’s law enforcement community is collaborating to target repeat offenders from counties with the highest violent crime rates, including Bernalillo County, N.M., under this initiative.
Valencia County Man Sentenced to Five Years for Federal Methamphetamine Trafficking ConvictionRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Joseph Baldonado, 30, of Los Lunas, N.M., was sentenced today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to 60 months in prison followed by four years of supervised release for his methamphetamine trafficking conviction.
Baldonado was arrested in Jan. 2016, on a criminal complaint charging him with distribution of methamphetamine in Valencia County, N.M. According to the complaint, Baldonado sold quantities of methamphetamine to an undercover agent on the following dates: 58.2 ounces on Jan. 6, 2016, 58.8 ounces on Jan. 12, 2016, and 57.2 ounces on Jan. 22, 2016.
Baldonado was subsequently indicted on Feb. 9, 2016, and charged with three counts of distribution of methamphetamine on Jan. 6, 12, and 22, 2016, in Valencia County.
On April 15, 2016, Baldonado pled guilty to Count 3 of the indictment charging him with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. In entering the guilty plea, Baldonado admitted possessing more than 50 grams of methamphetamine on Jan. 22, 2016, and selling it to another person for $1,600.
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the DEA and the HIDTA Region I Narcotics Task Force and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eva M. Fontanez.
The HIDTA Region I Narcotics Task Force is comprised of the Albuquerque Police Department, Albuquerque office of the DEA, Pojoaque Tribal Police Department, Rio Rancho Police Department, Sandoval County Sheriff’s Office and the Valencia County Sheriff’s Office. 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.
Thomas Martinez Sentenced to 27.5 Years for Federal Carjacking and Firearms ConvictionRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Thomas Martinez, 26, of Albuquerque, N.M., was sentenced today to 330 months in prison for his conviction on federal carjacking and firearms charges arising out of a one-day violent crime spree. Martinez will be on supervised release for five years after he completes his prison sentence
The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Damon P. Martinez, 2nd Judicial District Attorney Kari E. Brandenburg, Special Agent in Charge Thomas G. Atteberry of the Phoenix Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Chief Gorden E. Eden, Jr., of the Albuquerque Police Department (APD).
The U.S. Attorney said that Martinez was prosecuted as part of a federal anti-violence initiative that targets “the worst of the worst” offenders for federal prosecution. “As a general matter, the initiative targets violent and repeat offenders based on their prior felony convictions. Periodically, we prosecute individuals without prior serious convictions because they are have engaged in extraordinarily violent conduct that seriously jeopardized the community’s safety,” said U.S. Attorney Martinez. “Martinez was prosecuted under the initiative based on a one-day violent crime spree on July 22, 2015, which endangered the lives of numerous Albuquerque residents and several officers.”
“This case reflects the partnership we have with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and other critical agencies. Our community is safer when we work together,” said 2nd Judicial District Attorney Kari E. Brandenburg.
ATF Special Agent in Charge Thomas G. Atteberry added, “Today’s sentencing reflects how seriously we enforce the federal firearms laws. If a criminal chooses to use a firearm during the commission of a violent crime as Martinez did, he better be prepared to spend a long time in federal prison.”
“Mr. Martinez showed a blatant disregard for our victim, three children, our officer and our community during his dangerous crime spree,” APD Police Chief Police Gorden E. Eden Jr. said. “We truly appreciate our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their efforts to ensure this violent offender was sentenced under the ‘worst of the worst’ initiative.”
Martinez was charged with carjacking and firearms offenses in a criminal complaint filed on July 23, 2015. He subsequently was indicted on Aug. 11, 2015, and charged with two counts of carjacking and two counts of brandishing and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. According to the indictment, Martinez committed all four crimes on July 22, 2015, in Bernalillo County, N.M., as he attempted to evade APD officers who were seeking to arrest him on a warrant arising out of an unrelated state court case.
Martinez committed the first carjacking as he attempted to flee from officers who were conducting surveillance near a hotel in northeast Albuquerque. Martinez ran to a sedan occupied by a driver and three children as the driver was entering a ramp onto Interstate 40. Martinez brandished a firearm at the driver, pushed the driver into the sedan’s passenger seat, and used the sedan to continue his flight from the officers. The children were able to get out of the vehicle before Martinez drove away with the driver. An APD officer who was attempting to prevent the carjacking was dragged by the Chevrolet as Martinez drove away. As Martinez continued his flight, the driver of the sedan attempted to get Martinez to stop the vehicle, and Martinez responded by discharging the firearm in an attempt to shoot the driver. When Martinez slowed down, the driver was able to jump out of the sedan.
Martinez continued his flight in the sedan and abandoned the vehicle in a neighborhood in southeast Albuquerque. There Martinez forced his way into another vehicle which was occupied by an older man seated in the front passenger seat. As Martinez began to drive away, another man confronted Martinez, got into the vehicle, and began fighting with Martinez. During the fight, Martinez attempted to discharge his gun at the man. Shortly thereafter, the man was able to disarm Martinez, and Martinez was arrested by APD officers on state charges.
Martinez was arrested on the federal charges on Oct. 7, 2015, after he was transferred from state custody to federal custody. The related state charges against Martinez were dismissed in favor of federal prosecution.
On Dec. 11, 2015, Martinez pled guilty to two counts of carjacking and one count of discharging a firearm during a crime of violence.
This case was investigated by the ATF office in Albuquerque and APD with assistance from the 2nd Judicial District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Mysliwiec prosecuted the case as part of the “worst of the worst” anti-violence initiative. 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 for federal prosecution primarily based on prior criminal convictions with the goal of removing repeat offenders from communities in New Mexico for as long as possible. Because New Mexico’s violent crime rates, on a per capita basis, are amongst the highest in the nation, New Mexico’s law enforcement community is collaborating to target repeat offenders from counties with the highest violent crime rates, including Bernalillo County, under this initiative.
Texan Sentenced to 90 Months in Prison for Trafficking Drugs in Lea CountyRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Arturo Dominguez Morales, 45, of Lamesa, Texas, was sentenced today in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M., to 90 months in prison for his methamphetamine trafficking conviction. Morales will be on supervised release for 6 years after completing his prison sentence.
Morales was arrested on June 30, 2015, on a criminal complaint charging him with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute in Lea County, N.M. According to the complaint, agents with the Lea County Drug Task Force (LCDTF) discovered more than 230 grams of methamphetamine in Morales’ vehicle after learning from confidential sources that Morales was bringing large amounts of methamphetamine into Hobbs, N.M., for distribution.
On Sept. 30, 2015, Morales pled guilty to a felony information charging him with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. In entering the guilty plea, Morales admitted that on June 28, 2015, the LCDTF found 232 grams of methamphetamine in his vehicle. Morales also admitted that he was delivering the methamphetamine to another individual.
This case was investigated by the Las Cruces office of the DEA and the LCDTF and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Terri J. Abernathy.
The Lea County Drug Task Force is comprised of officers from the Lea County Sheriff’s Office, Hobbs Police Department, Lovington Police Department, Eunice Police Department the Tatum Police Department and the Jal 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.
Navajo Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Involuntary Manslaughter ChargeRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Rob Begay, 24, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation who resides in Twin Lakes, N.M., pled guilty this morning in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to an indictment charging him with involuntary manslaughter.
Begay was arrested on Dec. 2, 2015, on a criminal complaint charging him with involuntary manslaughter. Begay was indicted on Dec. 17, 2015, and was charged with killing a Navajo woman on Nov. 28, 2015, while driving under the influence of alcohol. According tot the indictment, Begay committed the crime on the Navajo Indian Reservation in McKinley County, N.M.
During today’s change of plea hearing, Begay pled guilty to the indictment and admitted killing the victim by driving recklessly while under the influence of alcohol. Begay admitted that because of his intoxication he was incapable of exercising clear judgment and a steady hand in operating a vehicle.
At sentencing, Begay faces a statutory maximum penalty of eight years in federal prison. A sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by the Crownpoint office of the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Burkhead.
Felon from Hobbs Sentenced to 100 Months for Unlawfully Possessing Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Ruben Cantu, 43, of Hobbs, N.M., was sentenced today in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M., to 100 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. He will be on supervised release for two years after completing his prison sentence.
U.S. Attorney Damon P. Martinez said that Cantu, who has six felony convictions over the past 23 years, was prosecuted as part of a federal anti-violence initiative that targets “the worst of the worst” offenders for federal prosecution. Under this initiative, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and federal law enforcement agencies work with New Mexico’s District Attorneys and state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to target violent or repeat offenders for federal prosecution with the goal of removing repeat offenders from communities in New Mexico for as long as possible. Because New Mexico’s violent crime rates, on a per capita basis, are amongst the highest in the nation, New Mexico’s law enforcement community is collaborating to target repeat offenders from counties with the highest violent crime rates, including Lea County, under this initiative.
“Today’s sentencing serves as an example to those criminals who continue to plague or community and utilize crime guns,” said Special Agent in Charge Thomas G. Atteberry of the Phoenix Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). “We will find you, and we will lock you up in a federal prison where you will no longer experience an iota of freedom.”
“The FBI and its federal partners are glad to work with local law enforcement to get the worst offenders off the streets and put them behind bars for a long time,” said Special Agent in Charge Terry Wade of the FBI’s Albuquerque Division. “These convictions demonstrate how federal, state and local agencies working together can make their communities safer. I am grateful to the FBI Special Agents and staff who worked on this case, along with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Lea County Drug Task Force, and Hobbs Police Department.”
Cantu was arrested on July 7, 2014, on an indictment charging him with two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. The indictment alleged that Cantu committed the crimes on March 5, 2014, in Lea County, N.M. At the time, Cantu was prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition because of his prior felony convictions.
On Dec. 8, 2015, Cantu pled guilty to the indictment and admitted that on March 5, 2014, he was in possession of a firearm and multiple rounds of ammunition. He further acknowledged that he was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition based on his status as a convicted felon.
This case was investigated by the ATF’s office in Las Cruces, the Roswell office of the FBI, the Lea County Drug Task Force and the Hobbs Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Terri J. Abernathy of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office prosecuted the case.
The Lea County Drug Task Force is comprised of officers from the Lea County Sheriff’s Office, Hobbs Police Department, Lovington Police Department, Eunice Police Department the Tatum Police Department and the Jal Police Department, and is part of the NM 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.
Espanola Man Sentenced to Prison for Violating Federal Narcotics Trafficking LawsRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Matthew Martinez, 38, of Espanola, N.M., was sentenced today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to 70 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for his conviction on a heroin trafficking charge. Martinez also was ordered to pay $500 in community restitution and to pay a $2,000 money judgment to the United States.
Martinez was arrested on Dec. 3, 2015, on a three-count indictment charging him with heroin trafficking offenses. The indictment charged Martinez with distributing heroin in Bernalillo County, N.M., on April 30, 2015. It also charged Martinez with distributing heroin on two occasions in Santa Fe, N.M.; the first time on May 1, 2015 and the second on Sept. 16, 2015.
On March 21, 2016, Martinez pled guilty to distributing heroin on Sept. 16, 2015. In his plea agreement, Martinez admitted selling approximately two ounces of heroin to an undercover FBI agent outside of a Santa Fe-area Walmart store. By his own admission, Martinez is associated with the Syndicato de Nuevo Mexico (SNM) prison gang and became involved in the heroin trade as a result of his gang affiliation.
“New Mexico’s Espanola Valley has had one of the country’s highest heroin overdose death rates for decades. Every time a heroin trafficker is removed from the Valley, the community continues its efforts to turn the tide against the heroin epidemic that has devastated its residents for generations,” said U.S. Attorney Damon P. Martinez. “This prosecution is part of a bigger effort that we call HOPE. The HOPE Initiative recognizes that law enforcement is only part of the answer, and that the community’s treatment, prevention and education needs must also be addressed.”
“New Mexico for too long has had the unenviable distinction of having one of the highest heroin-related death rates in the country,” said Special Agent in Charge Terry Wade of the FBI’s Albuquerque Division. “Today's sentence should send a clear signal the FBI is committed to bringing to justice those drug-traffickers who endanger our communities and destroy so many lives. I would like to thank the FBI Special Agents and support staff, Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office and New Mexico Corrections Department for their work on this case, and I congratulate the U.S. Attorney's Office on a successful prosecution.”
The Santa Fe office of the FBI investigated this case with assistance from the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office and the New Mexico Corrections Department. The Organized Crimes Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office 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.
Navajo Man Sentenced to Prison for Failing to Update his Sex Offender RegistrationRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Darrick Negale, 30, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation who resides in Albuquerque, N.M., was sentenced today in federal court to 16 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for violating the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). Negale will be required to register as a sex offender after completing his prison sentence. The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Damon P. Martinez and U.S. Marshal Conrad E. Candelaria.
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.
Negale was charged in a criminal complaint on Oct. 26, 2012, with violating SORNA by failing to update his sex offender registration. On Sept. 10, 2013, Negale was indicted on that same charge. According to the indictment, Negale failed to update his registration between Sept. 25, 2012 and Oct. 10, 2012, in Bernalillo County, N.M.
Negale was convicted of sexual abuse of a minor in Indian Country in June 2007. On May 6, 2010, Negale registered as a sex offender in Bernalillo County and agreed to notify the sheriff of the county to which he moved if he relocated outside of the county. Negale last registered as a sex offender on Oct. 3, 2011, in Bernalillo County and subsequently failed to notify the U.S. Probation Office of his whereabouts when he left a residential reentry program in Albuquerque without permission on Sept. 27, 2012. Negale pled guilty to the indictment on Nov. 10, 2015, without the benefit of a plea agreement.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elaine Y. Ramirez.
Gallup Man Pleads Guilty to Unlawfully Possessing an Unregistered Sawed-Off ShotgunRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Billie Cotten, 59, of Gallup, N.M., pled guilty this morning in federal court in Albuquerque. N.M., to violating the federal firearms laws by unlawfully possessing an unregistered sawed-off shotgun.
Cotten was arrested on Oct. 13, 2015, on a criminal complaint charging him with possession of unregistered sawed-off shotguns on July 1, 2015, in McKinley County, N.M. According to the complaint, Cotten sold 24 OxyContin pills and a sawed-off shotgun to individuals working with law enforcement on June 19, 2015. It also charged Cotten with selling a second sawed-off shotgun to the same individual on July 1, 2015. A search of the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record (NFRTR) confirmed that neither sawed-off shotgun was registered with the NFRTR.
Cotten was indicted on Nov. 5, 2015, and charged with distributing OxyContin on June 19, 2015, and unlawfully possessing unregistered sawed-off shotguns on June 19, 2015 and July 1, 2015.
During today’s proceedings, Cotten pled guilty to a felony information charging him with possession of an unregistered sawed-off shotgun. In entering the guilty plea, Cotten admitted that on July 1, 2015, he possessed and sold an operable sawed-off shotgun that was not registered to him in the NFRTR.
At sentencing, Cotten faces a maximum penalty of ten years in federal prison. A sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by the Gallup office of the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward Han.
Catron County Man Found Guilty of Misdemeanor Offense for Failing to Follow Direction of U.S. Forest Service OfficerRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Yesterday afternoon following a one-day bench trial, a U.S. Magistrate Judge sitting in Las Cruces, N.M., found Alvin Brent Laney, 28, guilty of the misdemeanor offense of failing to stop his vehicle when directed to do so by a U.S. Forest Service officer. The U.S. Magistrate Judge acquitted Laney of a second misdemeanor offense, interfering with a U.S. Forest Service officer. U.S. Attorney Damon P. Martinez and Special Agent in Charge Robin Poague, Southwest Region, U.S. Forest Service Law Enforcement & Investigations, announced the verdict.
Laney, a resident of Luna, N.M., was charged in a two-count misdemeanor information with interfering with a U.S. Forest Service officer engaged in the performance of his duties, and failing to stop a vehicle when directed to do so by a U.S. Forest Service officer. According to the misdemeanor information, Laney committed the two offenses in Catron County, N.M., on Jan. 11, 2015.
During the one-day bench trial, a U.S. Forest Service officer testified that while he was on duty in a marked patrol car in the Gila National Forest in Catron County on Jan. 11, 2015, Laney tailgated his patrol car for approximately four miles before illegally passing the officer’s patrol car and another vehicle on a blind curve. The officer activated his patrol car’s emergency lights and sirens, and pursued Laney along U.S. Highway 180. Laney failed to stop his vehicle and continued to drive for at least a mile and a half, while passing areas where he could have safely pulled over, even though the officer was pursuing him with lights and sirens. Laney finally came to a stop and parked his vehicle next to a Catron County deputy sheriff’s patrol car.
The U.S. Forest Service officer testified that when he approached Laney, Laney claimed that the officer did not have the authority to pull him. Laney, who testified in his own defense, claimed that he did not remember what he said to the officer. The evidence at trial included a video recording from the deputy sheriff’s lapel camera that captured part of the exchange between the U.S. Forest Service officer and Laney, including a statement by Laney questioned the officer’s authority to pull him over.
After rendering the verdict, the U.S. Magistrate Judge ordered Laney to pay $135 in fines and court costs.
The case was investigated by the Reserve Ranger District of the Gila National Forest of the U.S. Forest Service and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexander B. Shapiro and Luis A. Martinez of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office.
Zuni Pueblo Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearms and Residential Burglary ChargesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – John David Lee Bacy, 24, a member and resident of Zuni Pueblo, N.M., pled guilty today to firearms and residential burglary charges.
Bacy was charged in a three-count indictment filed on March 23, 2016, with unlawfully possessing stolen firearms on Aug. 13 and 14, 2014, and with residential burglary on Aug. 13, 2014. According to the indictment, Bacy committed these crimes on Zuni Pueblo in McKinley County, N.M.
During today’s proceedings, Bacy pled guilty to unlawfully possessing stolen firearms and committing a residential burglary on Aug. 13, 2014. In entering the guilty plea, Bacy admitted entering a residence on the Zuni Indian Reservation, prying open a gun safe, and taking firearms without the owner’s authorization. Bacy also admitted that he attempted to pawn three of the firearms the next day.
At sentencing, Bacy faces a maximum penalty of ten years in federal prison for possessing stolen firearms and a maximum penalty of three years for residential burglary. Bacy remains in federal custody pending a sentencing hearing which has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by the Zuni Pueblo Tribal Police Department and the McKinley County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Spindle is prosecuting the case.
Las Cruces Man Pleads Guilty to Violating Federal Firearms LawsRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Richard Isaac Quezada, 33, of Las Cruces, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court to violating the federal firearms laws. Under the terms of his plea agreement, Quezada will be sentenced to 60 months in federal prison followed by a term of supervised release to be determined by the court.
Quezada was arrested in March 2016, on a criminal complaint charging him with being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition on March 14, 2016, in Doña Ana County, N.M. According to the complaint, Quezada was arrested after he discharged a firearm in front of a residence, striking a vehicle. During a search incident to arrest, the officers found that Quezada was in possession of a loaded firearm and ammunition.
Today Quezada pled guilty today 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 additional amounts of ammunition. Quezada admitted that he was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because he previously had been convicted of importation of marijuana. Quezada remains in federal 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 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.
Federal Jury in New Mexico Convicts Mexican National on Methamphetamine Trafficking Conspiracy ChargeRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A federal jury sitting in Las Cruces, N.M., returned a verdict today finding Javier Amador-Flores, 49, guilty on a methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy charge after a three-day trial. U.S. Attorney Damon P. Martinez, Special Agent in Charge Waldemar Rodriguez of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in El Paso, Chief Patrol Agent Jeffrey D. Self of the U.S. Border Patrol El Paso Sector, and Commander Byron Wester of the Lea County Drug Task Force, announced the guilty verdict.
Amador-Flores, a permanent resident from Mexico who lived in Denver City, Texas, was arrested on July 29, 2015, on an indictment charging him and four co-defendants, three of whom are Mexican nationals, with participating in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in Lea County, N.M., from May 1, 2015 through May 6, 2015. Three of Amador-Flores’ co-defendants, Joel Dominguez-Morales, 41, Maria Marcelina Cardoza-Burciaga, 40, and Myrna Orozco, 32, a U.S. citizen, were also arrested. The fourth co-defendant, Jose Manuel Trujillo, 41, has yet to be arrested and is considered a fugitive.
Dominguez-Morales, Cardoza-Burciaga and Orozco pled guilty to participating in the methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy charged. Amador-Flores elected to proceed to trial.
Amador-Flores’ trial began July 18, 2016, and concluded this afternoon when the jury returned a verdict of guilty on the sole count indictment. The evidence at trial established that Amador-Flores participated in the methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy by receiving and storing shipments of methamphetamine at the residence he shared with Orozco in Denver City. Other members of the conspiracy distributed the methamphetamine in Lea County.
According to trial testimony, on May 1, 2015, an undercover agent arranged to purchase methamphetamine from Trujillo. On May 6, 2015, Trujillo informed the undercover agent that Dominguez-Morales would be delivering the methamphetamine to the agent. Thereafter, Dominguez-Morales met with the undercover agent at a restaurant in Hobbs and directed the agent to meet him at an abandoned bar in a rural area outside of Hobbs, where a woman would deliver the methamphetamine. Later that day, law enforcement officers arrested Dominguez-Morales and Cardoza-Burciaga near the abandoned bar and seized almost four kilograms of methamphetamine.
As part of their continuing investigation, on May 6, 2015, the officers executed a consensual search at the residence shared by Amador-Flores and Orozco, where they seized additional methamphetamine. During the trial, the jury learned that after his arrest, Amador-Flores made a statement to law enforcement officers in which he acknowledged that Trujillo and Dominguez-Morales were his friends and that he was aware of their drug trafficking activities. He also stated that Trujillo offered to pay him $2,000 to deliver the methamphetamine to the undercover agent on May 6, 2015. The evidence established that although Amador-Flores agreed to make the delivery for Trujillo, he did not do so because Dominguez-Morales was able to make the delivery.
The jury returned a guilty verdict after deliberating approximately two and a half hours.
Amador-Flores remains in custody pending his sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled. At sentencing, Amador-Flores faces a statutory mandatory minimum of ten years and a maximum of life in prison. He will be deported after completing his prison sentence.
His co-defendants Dominguez-Morales, Cardoza-Burciaga and Orozco each face a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Dominguez-Morales and Cardoza-Burciaga will be deported after serving their prison sentences.
The charges against Trujillo are merely accusations and he is presumed innocent unless found guilty in a court of law.
This case was investigated by the Las Cruces office of Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Lea County Drug Task Force, with assistance from the Yoakum County (Texas) Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brock Taylor and Matthew Beck of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office are prosecuting the case.
The Lea County Drug Task Force is comprised of officers from the Lea County Sheriff’s Office, Hobbs Police Department, Lovington Police Department, Eunice Police Department the Tatum Police Department and the Jal Police Department, and is part of the NM 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.
Albuquerque Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Bank Robbery ChargeRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Christian Tafolla, 26, of Albuquerque, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court to robbing an Albuquerque-area Wells Fargo Bank branch on March 18, 2016.
Tafolla was arrested on March 21, 2016, and charged by criminal complaint with robbing the Wells Fargo Bank located at 8100 Wyoming Blvd. in Albuquerque, on March 18, 2016. The complaint alleged that Tafolla robbed the bank by handing the bank teller a note demanding money. Tafolla was arrested later that day after Albuquerque Police Department officers observed Tafolla entering a store near the Wells Fargo Bank.
Tafolla subsequently was indicted on April 12, 2016. During today’s proceedings, Tafolla pled guilty to the indictment and admitted robbing the bank on March 18, 2016.
At sentencing, Tafolla faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. Tafolla 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 Albuquerque Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward Han is prosecuting the case.
Albuquerque Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Methamphetamine Trafficking and Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Bart Dutch Marshall, 61, of Albuquerque, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court to methamphetamine trafficking and firearms charges.
Marshall was arrested on March 23, 2015, on an indictment charging him with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and using firearms during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime on April 3, 2014, in Bernalillo County, N.M.
During today’s proceedings, Marshall pled guilty to a felony information of possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and possessing firearms during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime. In entering the guilty plea, Marshall admitted that on April 3, 2014, the Albuquerque Police Department executed a search warrant on his residence and found over 80 grams of pure methamphetamine, which he intended to sell to others. Marshall further admitted that he had a number of firearms in his residence which he possessed for his protection as part of the drug trade.
At sentencing, Marshall faces a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on the methamphetamine trafficking charge. He also faces a statutory mandatory minimum of five years and a maximum of life in federal prison on the firearms charge which must be served consecutive to the sentence imposed on the drug charge. Marshall remains detained pending a sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Albuquerque Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacob Wishard is prosecuting the case.
Acoma Pueblo Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Involuntary Manslaughter ConvictionRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Dwight T. Brown, 19, a member and resident of Acoma Pueblo, N.M., was sentenced this morning in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to 20 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for his involuntary manslaughter conviction.
Brown was arrested on April 15, 2015, on a criminal complaint charging him with voluntary manslaughter on April 9, 2015. According to the criminal complaint, Brown ran over and killed a 13-month old Indian child while driving under the influence of alcohol on Acoma Pueblo in Cibola County, N.M.
On Aug. 26, 2015, Brown pled guilty to a felony information charging him with involuntary manslaughter for causing the death of the victim while driving under the influence of alcohol. The guilty plea was entered without the benefit of a plea agreement.
This case was investigated by the Laguna/Acoma Agency of the BIA’s Office of Justice Services and the Acoma Pueblo Tribal Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Niki Tapia-Brito prosecuted the case.
Navajo Woman from Standing Rock, N.M., Pleads Guilty to Federal Assault ChargeRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Chelsey A. Billy, 21, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation who resides in Standing Rock, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to an assault charge. Under the terms of her plea agreement, Billy will be sentenced to 30 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release.
Billy was arrested on Jan. 7, 2016, on a criminal complaint charging her with assaulting a Navajo man with a hammer on Dec. 22, 2015. The victim was seriously injured and suffered a fracture to his left orbital eye socket and various lacerations to his head and face.
Billy subsequently was indicted on Jan. 26, 2016, and was charged with assault with a dangerous weapon, a hammer, with intent to do bodily harm and assault resulting in serious bodily injury. The indictment alleged that Billy committed the crimes on the Navajo Indian Reservation in McKinley County, N.M., on Dec. 22, 2015.
During today’s proceedings, Billy pled guilty to assault resulting in serious bodily injury, and admitted to striking the victim in the head with a hammer several times, causing serious bodily injury to the victim. Billy remains in custody pending a sentencing hearing which has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by the Crownpoint office of the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Spindle.
Albuquerque Felon Sentenced to Eleven and a Half Years for Robbery Spree Committed While on Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Vincent Steven Martinez, 38, of Albuquerque, N.M., was sentenced today in federal court to 139 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for his conviction on robbing four businesses involved in interstate commerce while on supervised release from an armed bank robbery conviction. Martinez was sentenced to 121 months in prison for the robberies and an additional 18 months in prison for violating the terms of his supervised release.
The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Damon P. Martinez, Special Agent in Charge Terry Wade of the FBI’s Albuquerque Division and Bernalillo County Sheriff Manuel Gonzales, III.
Martinez was arrested on Dec. 4, 2015, on an indictment charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition on Sept. 15, 2015, in Bernalillo County, N.M. At the time, Martinez was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because he previously had been convicted on aggravated battery, armed bank robbery and bank robbery charges. The indictment subsequently was superseded on Jan. 14, 2016, to charge Martinez with violating the Hobbs Act on Sept. 12, 2015, by robbing a business engaged in interstate commerce.
On June 3, 2016, Martinez pled guilty to the Hobbs Act robbery charged in the superseding indictment as well as a felony information charging him with three additional Hobbs Act robberies. In entering the guilty plea, Martinez admitted the following criminal conduct:
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On Aug. 14, 2015, Martinez entered a gas station located at 1715 Moon Street NE in Albuquerque, threatened the cashier with a handgun, and stole cash and cigarettes.
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On Sept. 5, 2015, Martinez entered the hotel located at 4501 Alameda Blvd. in Albuquerque, brandished a knife at a hotel employee, and demanded money.Martinez robbed the employee of cash and a camera.
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On Sept. 10, 2015, Martinez entered a hotel located at 5241 San Antonio Dr. in Albuquerque, brandished a gun at a hotel employee, and robbed the employee of cash.
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On Sept. 12, 2015, Martinez entered the Family Dollar at 7900 Second St. NW in Albuquerque, showed the cashier a gun, and demanded money.When Martinez grabbed money from the cash register, he dropped his wallet, which contained his driver’s license.
Martinez also admitted violating the terms of his supervised release on a prior felony conviction by using a controlled substance and possessing a firearm. In admitting these violations, Martinez acknowledged that he was convicted on April 28, 2010, on an armed bank robbery charge and was sentenced to 71 months of imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release, which commenced on June 13, 2014. Martinez admitted that in Dec. 2014, he submitted a urinalysis sample that tested positive for opioids because of his heroin use. He also admitted failing to participate in an outpatient substance abuse program as required by the terms of his supervised release.
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the FBI and the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Shana B. Long prosecuted the case as part of a federal anti-violence initiative that targets “the worst of the worst” offenders for federal prosecution. Under this initiative, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and federal law enforcement agencies work with New Mexico’s District Attorneys and state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to target violent or repeat offenders primarily based on their prior criminal convictions for federal prosecution with the goal of removing repeat offenders from communities in New Mexico for as long as possible. Because New Mexico’s violent crime rate, on a per capita basis, is one of the highest in the nation, New Mexico’s law enforcement community is collaborating to target repeat and violent offenders, primarily based on their prior convictions, from counties with the highest violent crime rates under this initiative.
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Roswell Woman Pleads Guilty to Federal Methamphetamine Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Destiny Stephenson, 35, of Roswell, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M., to methamphetamine trafficking charges.
Stephenson is one of 41 individuals charged in Sept. 2015, with drug trafficking offenses as a result of an eight-month multi-agency investigation by the FBI, the DEA, Chaves County Metro Narcotics Task Force, Roswell Police Department, Chaves County Sheriff’s Office and New Mexico State Police. Twenty-one of the defendants were charged with federal offenses and the remaining 20 with state crimes.
The investigation, which was designated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) program, initially targeted a drug trafficking organization (DTO) allegedly led by Joseph Ray Mendiola, 34, of Roswell, that allegedly distributed methamphetamine in Chaves County. It later expanded to include drug traffickers who allegedly supplied methamphetamine to the Mendiola DTO and other drug traffickers operating in Chaves County. The OCDETF 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.
Sixteen of the 21 defendants facing federal charges were charged in a 24-count indictment filed on Sept. 22, 2015. The remaining five federal defendants were charged in criminal complaints. The 20 state defendants were charged by criminal complaints.
Count 1 of the Indictment charged 15 of the 16 defendants with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine between June 2015 and July 2015. Count 2 charged three defendants with conspiracy to distribute cocaine in July 2015. Counts 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 charged certain defendants with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute in July 2015. Counts 8 through 24 charged certain defendants with using communications devices (telephones) to facilitate drug trafficking crimes. All crimes charged in the federal indictment occurred in Chaves County.
During the course of the investigation, law enforcement officers executed 14 federal search warrants for 10 residences in Roswell, one residence in Dexter, N.M., and three vehicles. During the execution of those search warrants, the officers seized approximately 5600 grams of methamphetamine, $35,960.00 in cash, and multiple firearms including two assault rifles. Five of the federal defendants, including Mendiola, were arrested on July 31, 2015, the date on which the officers executed the 14 federal search warrants.
During today’s proceedings, Stephenson pleaded guilty to conspiracy and possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. In entering the guilty plea, Stephenson admitted that between June 2015 and July 31, 2015, she conspired to distribute methamphetamine in Chaves County. Stephenson further admitted that on July 17, 2015, Chaves County Drug Task Force officers discovered 58.5 grams of methamphetamine in her vehicle which she intended to distribute. At sentencing Stephenson faces a maximum of 20 years in federal prison. A sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled.
On Feb. 24, 2016, co-defendant Susan Ceballos, 35, of Roswell, pled guilty to conspiracy and use of a communication device to facilitate a drug trafficking crime. At sentencing, Ceballos faces a maximum of 20 years in federal prison. A sentencing hearing has yet has yet to be scheduled.
The remaining 19 defendants facing federal charges have entered not guilty pleas to the indictment. Charges in indictments and criminal complaints are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent unless found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The federal cases were investigated by the Roswell office of FBI’s Albuquerque Division, the Las Cruces office of DEA, Roswell Police Department, Chaves County Sheriff’s Office, the Chaves County Metro Narcotics Task Force, the New Mexico State Police and the U.S. Marshals Service. The state cases were investigated by the New Mexico State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Randy M. Castellano is prosecuting the federal cases, and the Fifth Judicial District Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the state cases.
The HIDTA Chaves County Metro Narcotics Task Force is comprised of investigators from the Roswell Police Department, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the FBI and the Chaves County Sherriff’s Office. 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.
Federal Jury in New Mexico Finds Two Men Guilty of Cocaine and Heroin Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A federal jury sitting in Las Cruces, N.M., returned a verdict today finding Jose Remberto Guzman-Dominguez, 33, and Miguel Angel Rodriguez-Flores, 47, guilty of narcotics trafficking charges after a five-day trial. U.S. Attorney Damon P. Martinez, Special Agent in Charge Waldemar Rodriguez of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in El Paso, New Mexico State Police Chief Pete N. Kassetas, and Deputy Chief Jimmy Glascock of the New Mexico Motor Transportation Police announced the verdict.
Guzman-Dominguez, a legal permanent resident from El Salvador who was residing in Las Vegas, Nev., and Rodriguez-Flores, of Hawthorne, Calif., were arrested on Nov. 14, 2015, on a criminal complaint after officers of the New Mexico Motor Transportation Police found approximately 117.15 pounds (53.14 kilograms) of narcotics in their commercial tractor-trailer during a routine inspection at the port of entry on Interstate 10 near Lordsburg, N.M. The two men subsequently were indicted on Feb. 17, 2016, on charges that they conspired to distribute cocaine and heroin and possessed cocaine and heroin with intent to distribute. According to the indictment, defendants committed the three offenses in Hidalgo County, N.M., on the evening of Nov. 13, 2014 and the early morning of Nov. 14, 2015.
Trial on the three-count indictment began July 11, 2016, and concluded this afternoon when the jury returned a verdict of guilty on all counts of the indictment. The evidence at trial established that late on Nov. 13, 2015, and into the early hours of Nov. 14, 2015, the defendants were traveling in a commercial tractor-trailer from Phoenix, Ariz., to Lordsburg. When they entered the port of entry on Interstate 10 in Hidalgo County, the New Mexico Motor Transportation Police stopped their commercial tractor-trailer to conduct a safety inspection. After identifying several safety violations, the inspector continued with a cargo inspection and found that the trailer was fully loaded with large containers of industrial cleaning solution. While inspecting the cargo, the inspector found four cardboard boxes that were different from the industrial cleaning solution containers. One of the boxes was open and contained several cellophane wrapped bundles. Because of Guzman-Dominguez’s nervous behavior and his interest in the contents of the four boxes, the inspector requested assistance from the New Mexico State Police. The officers opened one of the cellophane bundles and found that it contained white powder that tested positive for cocaine. The four boxes contained 51 bundles with a gross weight of 53.14 kilograms.
The jury learned that laboratory tests later performed on the contents of the 51 bundles determined that 46 of the packages contained an aggregate of 105.6 pounds (47.9 kilograms) of cocaine and five packages contained an aggregate of 11.55 pounds (5.24 kilograms) of heroin.
The jury returned its guilty verdict after deliberating approximately four-and-a-half hours.
At sentencing, Guzman-Dominguez and Rodriguez-Flores each face a statutory penalty of a mandatory minimum of ten years and a maximum of life in federal prison. Guzman-Dominguez will be deported after completing his prison sentence. Both remain in custody pending sentencing hearings, which have yet to be scheduled.
The Border Enforcement Security Taskforce of the Las Cruces office of Homeland Security Investigations, New Mexico State Police, and New Mexico Motor Transportation Police investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brock Taylor and Richard Williams of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office are 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. Targeting members of major heroin and opioid trafficking organizations for investigation and prosecution is a priority of the HOPE Initiative. Learn more about the New Mexico HOPE Initiative at http://www.HopeInitiativeNM.org.
Albuquerque Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Narcotics Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Daniel Jiron, 41, of Albuquerque, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court to heroin and methamphetamine trafficking charges. Under the terms of his plea agreement, Jiron will be sentenced within the range of 72 to 96 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release. The guilty plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Damon P. Martinez and Special Agent in Charge Will R. Glaspy of the DEA’s El Paso Division.
Jiron and 14 co-defendants were charged in Dec. 2013, with drug trafficking and firearms charges as the result of an 18-month investigation by DEA and the HIDTA Region I Narcotics Task Force into a drug trafficking organization allegedly led by David Reynolds, 33, of Albuquerque, N.M., that distributed large quantities of heroin in Bernalillo and Santa Fe Counties, N.M. The investigation was designated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (“OCDETF”) program, a nationwide Department of Justice program that combines the resources and unique expertise of federal agencies, along with their local counterparts, in a coordinated effort to disrupt and dismantle major drug trafficking organizations.
Jiron was charged in a 15-count superseding indictment that also charged Reynolds and 13 others with conspiring to distribute heroin in Bernalillo and Santa Fe Counties from Sept. 2012 through Dec. 2013. It also charged Gene Solis, 21, with distributing heroin on three occasions in fall 2012; Humberto Hernandez, Jr., 39, with distributing methamphetamine on seven occasions between Feb. and Aug. 2013; and Jose Martinez-Encinias, 43, with possession of heroin and cocaine with intent to distribute in June 2013, and possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Reynolds also was charged with money laundering. The superseding indictment included forfeiture provisions seeking a money judgment of at least $1.3 million and property and assets obtained directly or indirectly from the commission of the crimes alleged in the indictment. A second superseding indictment that added additional charges subsequently was filed in June 2016.
In Aug. 2015, Jiron was charged in a separate case with a methamphetamine trafficking offense. The indictment in this second case charged Jiron with possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute in Bernalillo County on Sept. 3, 2013.
During today’s proceedings, Jiron resolved the charges in both cases by entering a guilty plea to the heroin trafficking conspiracy in the first case and a felony information charging him with methamphetamine trafficking. In entering the guilty plea, Jiron admitted that between Sept. 28, 2012 and Dec. 12, 2013, he received heroin on consignment from a co-conspirator and redistributed the heroin in Albuquerque. Jiron also admitted possessing methamphetamine that was seized by law enforcement officials who executed a search warrant at his resident on Sept. 3, 2013. Jiron remains in federal custody pending a sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled.
Two of Jiron’s co-defendants previously entered guilty pleas. Teddy Archuleta, 34, of Albuquerque, pled guilty to a felony information charging him with conspiracy to distribute heroin on Oct. 15, 2015. At sentencing, Archuleta faces a statutory maximum penalty of a mandatory minimum of five years and a maximum of 40 years in prison. Miguel Baca, 40, also of Albuquerque, pled guilty to a conspiracy charge on June 6, 2016. Baca faces a statutory penalty of a mandatory minimum of ten years and a maximum of life in prison when he is sentenced. Baca and Archuleta remain detained in federal custody pending sentencing hearings, which have yet to be scheduled.
The remaining 12 defendants have entered pleas of not guilty. If convicted on the drug trafficking charges in the superseding indictment, each defendant faces a maximum penalty of a mandatory minimum ten years to a maximum of life in prison. If convicted on the firearms charge, Martinez-Encinias also faces a mandatory five year prison sentence to be served consecutive to any prison sentence imposed on the drug trafficking charges. Reynolds faces up to ten years in prison if convicted on the money laundering charge. Charges in indictments and criminal complaints are only accusations. All criminal defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the DEA and the HIDTA Region I Narcotics Task Force, with assistance from the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy S. Vasquez and Joel R. Meyers pursuant to 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.
The HIDTA Region I Narcotics Task Force is comprised of the Albuquerque Police Department, Albuquerque office of the DEA, Pojoaque Tribal Police Department, Rio Rancho Police Department, Sandoval County Sheriff’s Office and the Valencia County Sheriff’s Office. 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.
Zuni Pueblo Man Sentenced to More Than 20 Years for Second-Degree Murder ConvictionRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Dusty Chavez, 23, a member and resident of Zuni Pueblo, N.M., was sentenced today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to 248 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for his conviction on a second-degree murder charge. Chavez’s co-defendant, Douglas Burt, 20, also a member and resident of Zuni Pueblo, was sentenced to 17 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release on July 12, 2016.
Chavez and Burt were arrested in Nov. 2014, on a criminal complaint charging them with murdering a man on Oct. 28, 2014, in the Zuni Indian Reservation in McKinley County, N.M. Chavez and Burt were subsequently indicted on murder charges on Nov. 19, 2014.
Chavez pled guilty to a felony information charging him with second-degree murder on Jan. 12, 2016. According to the plea agreement, Chavez and Burt instigated a fight with the victim during which Chavez threw the victim to the ground and then kicked and punched the victim. Burt also kicked the victim; Chavez hit the victim in the head with a rock; and Burt stabbed the victim in the chest. The autopsy report revealed that the victim died as a result of blunt force trauma to the head and stab wounds to the chest. Burt pled guilty to a felony information charging him with second-degree murder on Jan. 7, 2016.
This case was investigated by the Gallup office of the FBI and the Zuni Pueblo Tribal Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elaine Y. Ramirez and Kyle T. Nayback prosecuted the case.
Three Members of Grant County Methamphetamine Trafficking Ring Plead Guilty to Federal ChargesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Three members of a Grant County methamphetamine trafficking ring, including the ringleader, pled guilty late yesterday afternoon to methamphetamine trafficking charges. The three were part of a group of 12 defendants who were indicted in April 2015, as the result of an investigation that began in March 2014, and targeted a drug trafficking organization led by Daniel Lee Jacquez, 34, of Silver City, N.M., that distributed methamphetamine in Grant County, N.M. Three other defendants previously entered guilty pleas in this case.
The 12 defendants were charged in a 34-count indictment with participating in a drug trafficking conspiracy and committing a series of substantive drug trafficking offenses and a firearms offense. The conspiracy count charged all 12 defendants with conspiring to distribute methamphetamine in Grant County from March 2014 through April 2015. Eight counts charged certain defendants with distributing or possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine, 24 counts charge certain defendants with using communications devices (telephones) to facilitate drug trafficking crimes, and one charged a defendant with being a felon in possession of a firearm.
During yesterday’s proceedings, Jacquez pled guilty to a felony information charging him with participating in a methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy. In entering the guilty plea, Jacquez admitted that from March 2014 through April 2015, he and his co-defendants distributed five to 15 kilograms of methamphetamine in Grant County. Jacquez also admitted that law enforcement agents discovered numerous firearms and ammunition in his residence when they executed a search warrant on April 30, 2015. Under the terms of his plea agreement, the lead defendant, Jacquez will be sentenced to 108 months in prison followed by a term of supervised release to be determined by the court.
Gary Lee Romero, 31, of Santa Clara, N.M., also pled guilty yesterday to a felony information charging him with participating in a methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy, and admitted working with his co-defendants to distribute approximately 500 grams to 1.5 kilograms of methamphetamine in Silver City between March 2015 and April 2015. At sentencing, Romero faces a statutory minimum of five years and a maximum of 40 years in prison.
Freddy J. Lucero, 47, of Silver City, also pled guilty yesterday to a felony information charging him with a methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy. At sentencing, Lucero faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison.
Three other defendants previously have entered guilty pleas in this case. Bernice Holguin Miranda, 50, of Silver City, pled guilty on Sept. 16, 2015, and Lynette Medina, 42, of Silver City, pled guilty on Nov. 19, 2015, to conspiracy charges and to using communication devices to facilitate a drug trafficking crime. At sentencing, Miranda and Medina each face a statutory minimum of five years and a maximum of 40 years in prison. Judah Grande Mondello, 31, of Arenas Valley, N.M., pled guilty on May 25, 2016, to a conspiracy charge, two counts of distributing methamphetamine, and to using a communication device to facilitate a drug trafficking crime. At sentencing, Mondello faces a statutory minimum of ten years and a maximum of life in federal prison.
Sentencing hearings for the six defendants who have entered guilty plea have yet to be scheduled.
The remaining six defendants have entered not guilty pleas to the indictment and are pending trial. Charges in indictments are only accusations. All criminal defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The case was investigated by the Las Cruces offices of the DEA, HSI and FBI with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service and the New Mexico State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna R. Wright of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office is prosecuting this case.
The investigation leading to the filing of charges in this case was designated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program, a nationwide Department of Justice program that combines the resources and unique expertise of federal agencies, along with their local counterparts, in a coordinated effort to disrupt and dismantle major drug trafficking organizations.
Texas Felon Sentenced to Ten Years for Unlawfully Possessing Firearms and Ammunition in New MexicoRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Dylan Henry Ritter, 36, of Gardendale, Texas, was sentenced today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to 120 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for violating the federal firearms laws. The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Damon P. Martinez, U.S. Marshal Conrad E. Candelaria, and Special Agent in Charge Thomas G. Atteberry of the Phoenix Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Ritter was arrested on Oct. 7, 2014, on a criminal complaint charging him with being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition on Sept. 19, 2014, in Bernalillo County, N.M. According to the complaint, Ritter was traveling through New Mexico after absconding from the jurisdiction of a Texas state court to avoid a sentencing hearing when he was arrested by the U.S. Marshals Service. Deputy U.S. Marshals seized numerous firearms and rounds of ammunition when they searched Ritter’s hotel room and travel trailer following his arrest.
Ritter was indicted on Nov. 5, 2014, and charged with being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. According to the indictment, Ritter was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because he previously had been convicted of numerous felony offenses including first degree burglary, attempted robbery, attempted theft by receiving stolen property, aggravated assault, felon in possession of firearm, possession of a dangerous weapon, burglary and attempted theft of a rental vehicle. Ritter pled guilty to the indictment on April 8, 2016, without the benefit of a plea agreement.
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque offices of the U.S. Marshals Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Presiliano Torrez prosecuted the case.
Ten Alleged Members of Sunland Park Heroin Trafficking Ring Facing Federal Narcotics Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Ten individuals are facing heroin trafficking charges as the result of a DEA-led investigation targeting a heroin trafficking ring operating out of Sunland Park, N.M. The eight-month investigation concluded this morning after nine of the ten defendants had been arrested. U.S. Attorney Damon P. Martinez, Special Agent in Charge Will R. Glaspy of the DEA’s El Paso Division, and Chief Jaime Reyes of the Sunland Park Police Department announced the results of the investigation.
The investigation targeted a heroin trafficking organization allegedly led by Raymundo Muñoz, 67, of Sunland Park, N.M., that allegedly obtained its heroin from Juan Francisco Rivera, 60, of El Paso, Tex. The investigation was designated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program, a nationwide Department of Justice program that combines the resources and unique expertise of federal agencies, along with their local counterparts, in a coordinated effort to disrupt and dismantle major drug trafficking organizations.
In announcing the charges, U.S. Attorney Damon P. Martinez said, “At a time when communities throughout New Mexico are suffering the devastating impact of a heroin and opioid epidemic that is ravaging our nation, the law enforcement community has to prioritize targeting drug trafficking organizations that are feeding this epidemic. As part of the New Mexico HOPE Initiative, DEA has answered the call and is working with law enforcement agencies throughout the state to dismantle these drug trafficking organizations. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is doing its part by aggressively prosecuting these organizations.”
“Last year over 44,000 people died in the United States as a result of a drug overdose, many of those as a result of heroin and opioid abuse,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Will R. Glaspy. “The DEA and our law enforcement partners are committed to targeting those criminal organizations that are smuggling and distributing this poison and thus fueling this national epidemic.”
“The charges announced today are the result of great teamwork between the Sunland Police Department, DEA, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and several other agencies,” said Chief Jaime Reyes of the Sunland Park Police Department. “I am proud of the work that the men and women of the Sunland Police Department do every day to make our community a safer place for families to live and thrive.”
The ten alleged members of the heroin trafficking ring are charged in a 30-count indictment with participation in a heroin trafficking conspiracy and a series of substantive heroin trafficking offenses. The conspiracy charge alleges that all ten defendants conspired to distribute heroin in Doña Ana County and elsewhere between May 8, 2016 and July 12, 2016. It also includes 23 counts charging certain defendants with distributing heroin or possessing heroin with intent to distribute and six counts charging certain defendants with using communications devices (telephones) to facilitate heroin trafficking crimes.
According to the indictment, Rivera routinely supplied Muñoz with heroin, in quantities ranging from two to nine ounces, which was smuggled by couriers into the United States across the international border in El Paso. The indictment alleges that Muñoz took the heroin to his Sunland Park residence where he distributed the drugs to others. Members of the conspiracy allegedly used telephones to negotiate their heroin deals, arrange for heroin deliveries, and pay for the heroin.
Three of the defendants charged in the indictment, Muñoz, Rivera and Blanca Elisa Tovar, 41, of El Paso, were arrested on July 11, 2016, on a criminal complaint charging them with participating in a heroin trafficking conspiracy. The complaint alleges that the DEA arrested the trio after Tovar crossed the international border into El Paso and was driven by Rivera to a meeting with Muñoz. According to the criminal complaint, DEA seized 7.2 ounces of heroin from the vehicle in which Rivera and Tovar were traveling and a large amount of cash from Muñoz. Thereafter the DEA executed a search warrant at Muñoz’s residence in Sunland Park and seized another five ounces of heroin, $45,000 in cash and a firearm. Muñoz, Rivera and Tovar made their initial appearances on the criminal complaint in federal court in Las Cruces on July 13, 2016, and remain in federal custody pending preliminary hearings and detention hearings scheduled for July 18, 2016.
This morning, six more of the defendants were arrested on the charges in the indictment during an early morning arrest operation. The nine defendants who have been arrested will make their initial appearances on the indictment in federal court in Las Cruces on July 15, 2016. One defendant has yet to be arrested and is considered a fugitive.
During the course of the investigation, DEA agents and task force officers seized approximately a pound of heroin, more than $53,000 in cash and three firearms. These seizures include the heroin, cash and firearm seized on July 11, 2016.
The Las Cruces office of the DEA and Sunland Police Department investigated these cases with assistance from the El Paso office of the FBI, the U.S. Border Patrol, and the Gang Unit of the El Paso Police Department. In addition, the U.S. Marshals Service and the Doña Ana County Sheriff’s Office participated in today’s law enforcement operation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dustin C. Segovia and Renee L. Camacho of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office are prosecuting these cases 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.
Indictment in United States v. Muñoz, et al., 16-CR-3043-RB
Summary of the Charges
Count 1 of the Indictment charges all ten defendants with participating in a conspiracy to distribute heroin. The defendants face the following statutory maximum penalties if convicted on this count: Muñoz and Rivera each face imprisonment for not less than ten years or more than life and a $10,000,000.00 fine; Sanchez and Delgadillo each face imprisonment for not less than five years or more than 40 years and a $5,000,000.00 fine; and the remaining defendants each face imprisonment for up to 20 years and a fine of up to $1,000,000.00.
Counts 2, 6, 17-18 and 22-23 charge certain defendants with using communications devices (telephones) to facilitate drug trafficking crimes. The statutory maximum penalty for a conviction on each of these counts is imprisonment for not more than four years and a $250,000.00 fine.
Counts 3, 5, 8, 10, 12-13, 19, 21, 24 and 26-30 charge certain defendants with possessing 100 grams and more of heroin with intent to distribute. The statutory maximum penalty for a conviction on each of these counts is imprisonment for a mandatory minimum five years and a maximum of 40 years and a $5,000,000.00 fine.
Counts 4, 7, 9, 11, 14-16, 20 and 25 charge certain defendants with distributing heroin or possessing heroin with intent to distribute. The statutory maximum penalty for a conviction on each of these counts is imprisonment for not more than 20 years and a $1,000,000.00 fine.
Charges Against Defendants
Raymundo Muñoz, 47, of Sunland Park, N.M., is charged in Counts 1, 3-21 and 24-30 of the indictment. Muñoz was arrested on July 11, 2016.
Juan Francisco Rivera, 60, of El Paso, Tex., is charged in Counts 1, 3, 5, 8, 10, 12-16, 19, 21 and 24-30 of the indictment. Rivera was arrested on July 11, 2016.
Eleodoro Sanchez, 61, of Canutillo, Tex., is charged in Counts 1, 4, 9 and 11 of the indictment. Sanchez was arrested today.
Salvador Delgadillo, 37, of El Paso, Tex., is charged in Count 1 of the indictment. Delgadillo was arrested today.
Carlos Diaz, 36, of El Paso, Tex., is charged in Count 1 of the indictment. Diaz was arrested today.
Morhiama Abigail Avila, 28, a U.S. citizen who resides in Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico, is charged in Counts 1, 3, 5, 8, 10, 12 and 13 of the indictment. Avila has yet to be arrested and is considered a fugitive. A photograph of Avila is attached to this press release. Individuals with information about Avila’s whereabouts are asked to contact the DEA at (915) 892-4613.
Sandra Francis Guzman, 52, of El Paso, Tex., is charged in Counts 1, 14-16, 19, 21 and 24-26 of the indictment. Guzman was arrested today.
Blanca Elisa Tovar, 41 of El Paso, Tex., is charged in Counts 1 and 27-30 of the indictment. Tovar was arrested on July 11, 2016.
Alberto Lozano-Morales, 43, of Sunland Park, N.M., is charged in Counts 1, 2, 6, 7 and 18 of the indictment. Lozano-Morales was arrested today.
Armando Daniel Marquez, 53, Sunland Park, N.M., is charged in Counts 1, 18-19 and 22-23 of the indictment. Marquez was arrested today.
Criminal Complaint United States v. Muñoz, et al., 16-MJ-2891-LAM
The criminal complaint charges Muñoz, Rivera and Tovar with participating in a heroin trafficking conspiracy on July 11, 2016. If convicted, each defendant faces a statutory maximum penalty of imprisonment for a mandatory minimum five years and a maximum of 40 years and a $5,000,000 fine.
Charges in indictments and criminal complaints are only accusations. All criminal defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Munoz Complaint Munoz Indictment
Las Cruces Woman Pleads Guilty to Federal Heroin Trafficking ChargeRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Alejandra Gomez, 28, of Las Cruces, N.M., pled guilty late yesterday afternoon in federal court to a heroin trafficking charge. Under the terms of her plea agreement, Gomez will be sentenced to 33 months in prison followed by a term of supervised release to be determined by the court.
Gomez was arrested in Sept. 2015, on a criminal complaint charging her with distributing heroin in Doña Ana County, N.M. According to the criminal complaint, Gomez sold an aggregate of 241.6 grams of heroin to an undercover law enforcement agent on three occasions in July and Aug. 2015. On Sept. 9, 2015, law enforcement officers executed a federal search warrant on Gomez’s residence where they seized two firearms.
Gomez subsequently was indicted on Dec. 9, 2015, and charged with conspiracy to distribute heroin from July 2, 2015 through Aug. 19, 2015 and distributing heroin on July 2, 2015, July 16, 2015, and Aug. 19, 2015. According to the indictment, Gomez committed the crimes in Doña Ana County.
During yesterday’s proceedings, Gomez pled guilty to a felony information charging her with conspiracy to possess heroin with intent to distribute. In entering the guilty plea, Gomez admitted that she distributed heroin to an undercover DEA agent on the following dates: on July 2, 2015, she distributed 12.9 grams of heroin; on July 16, 2015, she distributed 48.3 grams of heroin; and on Aug. 9, 2015 she distributed 68.5 grams of heroin. Gomez 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. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna R. Wright of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office is prosecuting the case as part of the New Mexico Heroin and Opioid Prevention and Education (HOPE) Initiative.
The HOPE Initiative was launched in January 2015 by the UNM Health Sciences Center and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in response to the national opioid epidemic, which has had a disproportionately devastating impact on New Mexico. Opioid addiction has taken a toll on public safety, public health and the economic viability of our communities. Working in partnership with the DEA, the Bernalillo County Opioid Accountability Initiative, Healing Addiction in our Community (HAC), the Albuquerque Public Schools and other community stakeholders, HOPE’s principal goals are to protect our communities from the dangers associated with heroin and opioid painkillers and reducing the number of opioid-related deaths in New Mexico.
The HOPE Initiative is comprised of five components: (1) prevention and education; (2) treatment; (3) law enforcement; (4) reentry; and (5) strategic planning. HOPE’s law enforcement component is led by the Organized Crime Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the DEA in conjunction with their federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement partners. Targeting members of major heroin and opioid trafficking organizations for investigation and prosecution is a priority of the HOPE Initiative. Learn more about the New Mexico HOPE Initiative at http://www.HopeInitiativeNM.org.
Albuquerque Man Sentenced to Seven Years for Federal Methamphetamine Trafficking ConvictionRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Jude Schulte, 25, of Albuquerque, N.M., was sentenced today in federal court to seven years in prison followed by three years of supervised release for his methamphetamine trafficking conviction. Schulte’s conviction was based on his June 24, 2014 guilty plea to a felony information charging him with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute.
Schulte and co-defendants Greg Cotinola, 49, and Erik Samuel Parra Arambula, 25, both of Albuquerque, were arrested in Nov. 2013, on methamphetamine trafficking charges. Cotinola was also charged with violating the federal firearms laws.
Schulte, Cotinola and Arambula subsequently were indicted on Dec. 4, 2013. The indictment charged Cotinola with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Cotinola was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because of his status as a convicted felon. Records reveal that Cotinola’s numerous felony convictions included convictions for drug trafficking, attempted kidnapping, aggravated battery, aggravated assault, and false imprisonment. The indictment also charged Arambula and Schulte with conspiracy and distribution of methamphetamine, and Arambula with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. The crimes charged in the indictment took place on Nov. 7, 2013, in Bernalillo County, N.M.
On April 18, 2014, Cotinola pled guilty to Count 1 of the indictment charging him with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. Cotinola was sentenced on Feb. 18, 2015, to 12 years in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release.
On April 23, 2015, Arambula pled guilty to a felony information charging him with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Arambula admitted traveling to Arizona on Nov. 7, 2013, to meet with a source of supply who provided him with two pounds of methamphetamine. Arambula intended to deliver the methamphetamine to another individual for further distribution. Under the terms of his plea agreement, Arambula will be sentenced to no more than 72 months in prison. A sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque offices of the DEA and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel R. Meyers is prosecuting the case.
Mexican National Pleads Guilty to Federal Heroin Trafficking ChargeRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Diego Mauricio Curiel-Cervantes, 22, a Mexican national, entered a guilty plea today to a heroin trafficking charge in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M.
Curiel-Cervantes was arrested on April 8, 2016, after DEA agents found 1.30 gross kilograms (2.6 pounds) of heroin and 3.45 gross kilograms (7.59 pounds) of cocaine concealed in his luggage at the Greyhound Bus Station in Albuquerque. Curiel-Cervantes subsequently was indicted and charged with possession of heroin and cocaine with intent to distribute.
During today’s change of plea hearing, Curiel-Cervantes entered a guilty plea to a felony information charging him with possession of heroin with intent to distribute. In his plea agreement, Curiel-Cervantes admitted that he unlawfully possessed heroin in Bernalillo County, N.M., on April 8, 2016. Law enforcement officers found the heroin, which was concealed in Curiel-Cervantes’ suitcase in a luggage compartment of a Greyhound Bus, during a consensual search.
Curiel-Cervantes has been in federal custody since his arrest and remains detained pending a sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled. At sentencing, he faces a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. He will be deported after completing his prison sentence.
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the DEA and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul H. Spiers 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 DEA, Bernalillo County, 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.
Former Colfax County Sheriff’s Deputy Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug Trafficking and Theft of Government Property ChargesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Vidal Sandoval, 46, of Cimarron, N.M., pleaded guilty this morning to a superseding indictment charging him with drug trafficking and theft of government property charges. Sandoval was a Deputy of the Colfax County Sheriff’s Department at the time he committed the crimes. The guilty plea was entered without the benefit of a plea agreement.
In announcing the guilty plea, U.S. Attorney Damon P. Martinez said, “The people of New Mexico must be able to have trust in their law enforcement officials. This case sends a powerful message to the people of Colfax County and all New Mexico residents that the FBI, New Mexico State Police and U.S. Attorney’s Office are vigilant about aggressively rooting out law enforcement corruption and giving New Mexicans confidence that those in uniform will serve them with honesty and integrity.”
“The vast majority of law enforcement officers perform their jobs with integrity and sometimes even heroically, as recent headlines have shown. But when one of them turns bad and endangers the public safety he swore to protect, the FBI and our partners will make sure he is brought to justice,” said Special Agent in Charge Terry Wade of the FBI’s Albuquerque Division. “I would like to thank the FBI Special Agents and professional support staff who worked on this case, as well as the New Mexico State Police and Colfax County Sheriff's Office for their assistance.”
“This case reinforces to those that choose to break the law, that they will suffer the consequences,” said Chief Pete Kassetas of the New Mexico State Police. “When an officer is the one committing crimes, it reflects negatively on all law enforcement officers and it is unacceptable. The cooperation was outstanding and I cannot express my gratitude enough to all the agencies involved. Together, we have made a difference in our state.”
The FBI and the New Mexico State Police arrested Sandoval on March 13, 2015, on an indictment charging him with aiding and abetting an attempt to possess cocaine with intent to distribute in Colfax County, N.M., on Feb. 28, 2015. The indictment included forfeiture provisions seeking a money judgment in the amount of $17,500, the proceeds Sandoval obtained through his unlawful conduct. The indictment was superseded on April 14, 2015, to add two theft of government property offenses charging Sandoval with stealing money belonging to the FBI on Dec. 15, 2014, and Jan. 25, 2015.
During today’s change of plea hearing, the United States made the following proffer regarding the evidence it would have presented if the case had proceeded to trial:
Sandoval was employed as a deputy sheriff by the Colfax County Sheriff’s Department between Dec. 2014 and Feb. 2015, during which time he received training on how to properly handle evidence. Sandoval knew that he was forbidden to keep money and other property he seized while executing his official duties.
While on duty on Dec. 15, 2014, Sandoval stole money from two motorists whom he believed to be drug traffickers transporting the proceeds from the sale of illegal drugs. After Sandoval found $8,000 in cash in the motorists’ vehicle during a traffic stop, he called Leon Herrera and enlisted him to tell the motorists that he (Herrera) was a law enforcement officer. At the conclusion of the traffic stop, Sandoval retained $7,500 for his personal use and did not turn it into the Colfax County Sheriff’s Department; he returned $500 to the motorists. Sandoval later learned that the cash belonged to the FBI and that the two motorists whom he suspected of being drug traffickers were actually undercover officers.
On Feb. 28, 2015, Sandoval accepted $10,000 in cash to escort a load of illegal drugs through Colfax County into Colorado. Sandoval traveled to Wagon Mound, N.M., in his patrol car and while wearing his uniform, where he met a motorist whom he believed to be a drug trafficker. Sandoval accepted $5,000 from the motorist. During their conversation, the motorist displayed a box containing cocaine and Sandoval understood that the motorist was going to Colorado with the intention of selling the cocaine. After instructing the motorist to drive a few car lengths behind him, Sandoval drove through Colfax County and into Colorado, where he again met with the motorist and received another $5,000. Sandoval retained the $10,000 for his personal use instead of turning it into the Colfax County Sheriff’s Department. Sandoval later learned that the $10,000 belonged to the FBI and that the motorist whom he suspected of being a drug trafficker was actually an undercover officer. Sandoval also learned that the box displayed by the undercover officer contained two kilograms of cocaine and three kilograms of “sham” cocaine
At sentencing, Sandoval faces a statutory mandatory minimum of five years and a maximum of 40 years in prison on the drug trafficking charge and a statutory maximum penalty of ten years in prison on each of the two theft of government property charges. His sentencing hearing has not been scheduled.
Herrera, Sandoval’s cohort, was charged in a separate case with falsely impersonating a federal officer. Herrera entered a guilty plea to that charge on Oct. 16, 2015 and was sentenced on Feb. 4, 2016 to a year of probation and was ordered to perform 250 hours of community service.
The two cases were investigated by the Santa Fe and Albuquerque offices of the FBI and the New Mexico State Police with assistance from the Colfax County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean J. Sullivan is the prosecutor for both cases.
Zuni Pueblo Man Sentenced to 17 Years for Second Degree Murder ConvictionRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Douglas Burt, 20, a member and resident of Zuni Pueblo, N.M., was sentenced today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to 204 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for his conviction on a second degree murder charge.
Burt and his co-defendant Dusty Chavez, 23, also a member and resident of Zuni Pueblo, were arrested in Nov. 2014, on a criminal complaint charging them with murdering a man on Oct. 28, 2014, in the Zuni Indian Reservation in McKinley County, N.M. Burt and Chavez were subsequently indicted on murder charges on Nov. 19, 2014.
On Jan. 7, 2016, Burt pled guilty to a felony information charging him with second degree murder. According to the plea agreement, Burt and Chavez instigated a fight with the victim during which Chavez threw the victim to the ground and then kicked and punched the victim. Burt also kicked the victim; Chavez hit the victim in the head with a rock; and Burt stabbed the victim in the chest. The autopsy report revealed that the victim died as a result of blunt force trauma to the head and stab wounds to the chest.
On Jan. 12, 2016, Chavez pled guilty to a felony information charging him with second degree murder. Under the terms of his plea agreement, Chavez will be sentenced within the range of 228 to 276 months in federal prison followed by a term of supervised release to be determined by the court. Chavez is currently scheduled for sentencing on July 14, 2016.
This case was investigated by the Gallup office of the FBI and the Zuni Pueblo Tribal Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elaine Y. Ramirez and Kyle T. Nayback are prosecuting the case.
San Ildefonso Pueblo Man Sentenced for Federal Child Sexual Abuse ConvictionRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Juan Pena, 72, an enrolled member of the Pueblo of San Ildefonso who resides in Santa Fe, N.M., was sentenced today in federal court to 24 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for his child sexual abuse conviction. Pena will be required to register as a sex offender when he completes his prison sentence.
Pena was arrested on Aug. 19, 2015, on an indictment charging him with abusive sexual contact of a minor between the age of 12 and 16 years. The indictment charged Pena with committing the crime on May 25, 2015, in the Pueblo of San Ildefonso in Santa Fe County, N.M.
On Feb. 5, 2016, Pena pled guilty to the indictment without the benefit of a plea agreement. Pena admitted that on May 25, 2015, he engaged in sexual contact with the victim, a child between the age of 12 and 16 years, with intent to abuse, humiliate, harass and degrade the victim.
This case was investigated by the Santa Fe office of the FBI and the Northern Pueblos Agency of the BIA’s Office of Justice Services.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Raquel Ruiz-Velez 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/.
Mescalero Apache Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Arson ChargeRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Theodore George Torres, 27, an enrolled member of the Mescalero Apache Nation who resides in Mescalero, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M., to an arson charge. Under the terms of his plea agreement, Torres will be sentenced to 36 months in prison followed by not less than three years of supervised release. Torres also will be required to pay restitution in the amount of $86,299.42 to the victim of his criminal conduct.
Torres was arrested on Dec. 15, 2015, on a federal criminal complaint charging with arson and was indicted on that same charge on April 21, 2016. According to court filings, Torres set fire to a residence of a Mescalero Apache woman. Torres committed the crime on Oct. 30, 2014, on the Mescalero Apache Indian Reservation in Otero County, N.M. The complaint states that Torres was arrested on related tribal charges on Dec. 11, 2014, and remained in tribal custody until his arrest on the federal arson charge.
During today’s proceedings, Torres pled guilty to the indictment and admitted that on Oct. 30, 2014, he maliciously set fire to a dwelling located in Mescalero Apache Reservation. Torres acknowledged that the fire caused $86,299.42 worth of damage.
Torres has been in federal custody since his arrest and remains detained 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.
Former Employees of Dental Practice in Valencia County Charged with Trafficking in Prescription PainkillersRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Pamela Suniga, 52, of Veguita, N.M., and Barbara Hussey, 40, of Belen, N.M., made their initial appearances today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., on an indictment charging them with violating the federal narcotics laws. Suniga and Hussey remain in custody pending arraignment and detention hearings, which are scheduled for July 13, 2016.
Suniga and Hussey were arrested yesterday based on an 11-count indictment charging the two women with conspiracy to distribute Hydrocodone, a prescription opioid painkiller, between May 2015 and Oct. 2015. The indictment also charges Suniga with distributing Hydrocodone on five occasions between May 2012 and Dec. 2014, and Suniga and Hussey with unlawfully acquiring Hydrocodone by forging prescriptions in the name of a dentist and presenting the prescriptions at a pharmacy in Belen in Aug. 2015.
The indictment charges Suniga alone with making a materially false statement in Oct. 2015, by forging the name of a dentist on a prescription for Hydrocodone and presenting the forged prescription at a pharmacy in Belen, and with aggravated identity theft. Finally, Suniga is charged with embezzling $17,219.55 in health care benefits between Dec. 2014 and Oct. 2015. The indictment also includes forfeiture provisions, which seek forfeiture of the monies Suniga allegedly embezzled.
According to the indictment, Suniga and Hussey committed the 11 offenses charged in the indictment in Valencia County, N.M. At the time they allegedly committed the crimes charged in the indictment, Suniga and Hussey were employed by a dental practice in Valencia County.
If convicted on the conspiracy charge, Suniga and Hussey each face a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. If convicted on the distribution of Hydrocodone charges, Suniga faces a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. If convicted of acquiring Hydrocodone using forged prescriptions, Suniga and Hussey each face a statutory maximum penalty of four years in prison. In addition, Suniga faces a statutory penalty of five years in prison on the false statements charge and ten years on the embezzlement charge. Suniga also faces a statutory mandatory two-year prison sentence on the aggregated identify theft charge that must be served consecutive to any sentence imposed on the other charges.
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 and the New Mexico Board of Pharmacy. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristopher N. Houghton 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.
Suniga Hussey Indictment
Federal Jury Finds Armed Career Criminal from Albuquerque Guilty of Unlawfully Possessing a Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A federal jury sitting in Albuquerque, N.M., returned a verdict late yesterday afternoon finding Samuel Silva, 40, guilty of unlawfully possessing a firearm and ammunition after a one-day trial. The verdict was announced by U.S. Attorney Damon P. Martinez, 2nd Judicial District Attorney Kari E. Brandenburg, Special Agent in Charge Thomas G. Atteberry of the Phoenix Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Chief Gorden E. Eden, Jr., of the Albuquerque Police Department (APD).
Silva was charged on Dec. 3, 2014, with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition on July 1, 2014, in Bernalillo County, N.M. According to the indictment, Silva was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because he previously had been convicted of numerous felony offenses. His prior felony convictions included auto burglary, unlawful taking of a vehicle, aggravated battery on a peace officer, attempted murder with a firearms enhancement, shooting at a motor vehicle, unlawful possession of a firearm, kidnapping with a firearms enhancement, and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
Silva was arrested on Dec. 18, 2014, after he was transferred to federal custody from state custody where he was detained on related state charges. The state charges subsequently were dismissed in favor of federal prosecution.
Silva’s trial on the felon in possession charge began yesterday morning and concluded late yesterday afternoon when the jury returned a guilty verdict. The evidence at trial established that APD officers arrested Silva on an outstanding warrant on July 1, 2014. After arresting Silva, the officers obtained a search warrant for the vehicle Silva was driving at the time of his arrest. When the officers executed the search warrant, they found a semi-automatic pistol loaded with nine rounds of .40 caliber ammunition in the vehicle.
At sentencing, Silva faces an enhanced sentence of a statutory mandatory minimum of 15 years and a maximum of life in prison for unlawfully possessing a firearm and ammunition on July 1, 2014. Silva faces this enhanced sentence because of his status as an armed career criminal.
The case was investigated by ATF in Albuquerque and APD with assistance from the 2nd Judicial District Attorney’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jacob A. Wishard and Edward Han are prosecuting the case as part of a federal anti-violence initiative that targets “the worst of the worst” offenders for federal prosecution. Under this initiative, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and federal law enforcement agencies work with New Mexico’s District Attorneys and state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to target violent or repeat offenders primarily based on their prior criminal convictions for federal prosecution with the goal of removing repeat offenders from communities in New Mexico for as long as possible. Because New Mexico’s violent crime rate, on a per capita basis, is one of the highest in the nation, New Mexico’s law enforcement community is collaborating to target repeat and violent offenders, primarily based on their prior convictions, from counties with the highest violent crime rates under this initiative.
Carlsbad Woman Pleads Guilty to Possessing an Unregistered FirearmRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Janice Sarabia, 47, of Carlsbad, N.M., pled guilty this afternoon in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M., to violating the federal firearms laws by unlawfully possessing an unregistered firearm.
Sarabi was arrested in Feb. 2016, on a criminal complaint charging her with possession of an unregistered firearm on Feb. 27, 2014, in Eddy County, N.M. According to the complaint, the Pecos Valley Drug Task Force (PVDTF) executed a state search warrant on Sarabia’s residence on Feb. 27, 2014, and seized a short-barrel shotgun. A search of the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record (NFRTR) determined that Sarabia did not have any weapons registered to her, and the shotgun also was unregistered with the NFRTR.
During today’s plea hearing, Sarabia pled guilty to a felony information charging her with possession of an unregistered firearm. At sentencing, Sarabia faces a statutory maximum penalty of ten years in federal prison. A sentencing hearing 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 Pecos Valley Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Randy M. Castellano is prosecuting the case.
Albuquerque Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Robbing Pharmacy at Gunpoint to Obtain Opioid PainkillersRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Ernesto Gallegos, 31, of Albuquerque, N.M., was sentenced today in federal court for his conviction for robbing a retail pharmacy at gunpoint to obtain prescription opioid painkillers in May 2014. Gallegos was sentenced to 70 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release. The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Damon P. Martinez, 2nd Judicial District Attorney Kari E. Brandenburg, Will R. Glaspy, Special Agent in Charge of DEA’s El Paso Division, and Chief Gorden E. Eden of the Albuquerque Police Department.
Gallegos was charged by felony information on March 16, 2016, with violating the Hobbs Act by robbing a business engaged in interstate commerce and robbery involving controlled substances. The charges against Gallegos arose out of the armed robbery of the Walgreens Pharmacy located at 5001 Montgomery Blvd. in Albuquerque on May 6, 2014.
Gallegos pled guilty on March 16, 2016, to the felony information. In his plea agreement, Gallegos admitted that late on the night of May 6, 2015, he entered the Walgreens Pharmacy on Montgomery Blvd. NE in Albuquerque, approached the pharmacy counter, gave a pharmacy employee a note demanding Oxycodone, and let the employee know that he was armed. After the pharmacy employee gave Gallegos bottles containing Oxycodone, Gallegos attempted to flee from police, but drove through a red light and crashed his vehicle into a police vehicle.
The plea agreement states that officers recovered 515 Oxycodone pills in 30-milligram and 15-milligram dosages and 26 pills of a generic brand of oxycodone in 15-milligram dosages from Gallegos and his vehicle. They also seized the handgun Gallegos used during the robbery from Gallegos’ vehicle.
This case was investigated by the Tactical Diversion Squad of the DEA in Albuquerque and the Albuquerque Police Department with assistance from the 2nd Judicial District Attorney’s Office, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shaheen P. Torgoley and Joel R. Meyers.
DEA’s Tactical Diversion Squads combine DEA resources with those of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies in an innovative effort to investigate, disrupt and dismantle those suspected of violating the Controlled Substances Act or other appropriate federal, state or local statutes pertaining to the diversion of licit pharmaceutical controlled substances or listed chemicals.
The Controlled Substance Registrant Protection Act was enacted in 1984, to combat the theft of prescription drugs from individuals and businesses registered with the DEA. It created penalties for entering a pharmacy’s premises for the purpose of stealing controlled substances, and includes enhanced punishment for using a dangerous weapon. The Safe Doses Act was enacted in Oct. 2012, to fight medical theft and protect patients from unknowingly using stolen and mishandled drugs. It provides for enhanced sentences for those who rob pharmacies of controlled substances; individuals who steal medical products; and “fences” who knowingly obtain stolen medical products for resale in the supply chain.
This case was prosecuted pursuant to the New Mexico Heroin and Opioid Prevention and Education (HOPE) Initiative. The HOPE Initiative was launched in January 2015 by the UNM Health Sciences Center and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in response to the national opioid epidemic, which has had a disproportionately devastating impact on New Mexico. Opioid addiction has taken a toll on public safety, public health and the economic viability of our communities. Working in partnership with the DEA, the Bernalillo County Opioid Accountability Initiative, Healing Addiction in our Community (HAC), the Albuquerque Public Schools and other community stakeholders, HOPE’s principal goals are to protect our communities from the dangers associated with heroin and opioid painkillers and reducing the number of opioid-related deaths in New Mexico.
The HOPE Initiative is comprised of five components: (1) prevention and education; (2) treatment; (3) law enforcement; (4) reentry; and (5) strategic planning. HOPE’s law enforcement component is led by the Organized Crime Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the DEA in conjunction with their federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement partners. Targeting members of major heroin and opioid trafficking organizations for investigation and prosecution is a priority of the HOPE Initiative. Learn more about the New Mexico HOPE Initiative at http://www.HopeInitiativeNM.org.
Albuquerque Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Randy Martinez, Jr., 21, of Albuquerque, N.M., pled guilty this morning in federal court to federal child pornography offenses. Under the terms of his plea agreement, Martinez will be sentenced to 12 years in prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release. Martinez will be required to register as a sex offender when he completes his prison sentence.
Martinez was arrested on Dec. 7, 2015, on a five-count indictment charging him with advertisement, receipt and possession of visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. According to the indictment, Martinez advertised his willingness to receive, distribute and exchange child pornography from Aug. 9, 2015 through Aug. 17, 2015, and received child pornography from Aug. 9, 2015 to Aug. 17, 2015. The indictment also charged Martinez with possessing child pornography from Nov. 5, 2014 through Aug. 17, 2015. The indictment charged Martinez with committing the five offenses in Bernalillo County, N.M.
According to court filings, the investigation into this case was initiated after the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received a cryptic Cybertip on Aug. 17, 2015, in which the sender reported himself for offenses involving the online sexual exploitation of children. After the tip was forwarded to law enforcement authorities in New Mexico, the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office identified Martinez as the sender of the Cybertip. Thereafter, law enforcement authorities executed a search warrant on Martinez’s phone and found nearly 3,000 files containing child pornography on the phone. Further investigation revealed that Martinez also possessed two online cloud storage accounts containing over 5,000 child pornography videos and images.
The search of Martinez’s phone also revealed that he was an active participant in an online messaging application community devoted to trading child pornography. Martinez used this messaging application to receive and share child pornography with other members of the messaging community. The continuing investigation has led to the identification of approximately 70 unique users who allegedly engaged in trading images and videos depicting the sexual exploitation of children, both in the United States and abroad.
During today’s proceedings, Martinez pled guilty to four of the five counts of the indictment charging him with receipt and possession of child pornography. In entering the guilty plea, Martinez admitted using a messaging application on his cellular phone to receive child pornography between Aug. 9, 2015 and Aug. 17, 2015. Martinez also admitted possessing thousands of images and videos of child pornography between Nov. 2014 and Aug. 2015.
This case was investigated by the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office, Albuquerque office of the FBI and the New Mexico Office of the Attorney General with assistance from the New Mexico Regional Computer Forensics Laboratory, all of which are members of the New Mexico Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Mease 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, 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 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.
Albuquerque Man Pleads Guilty to Failing to Update his Sex Offender RegistrationRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Willie Lewis Griffin, 44, of Albuquerque, N.M., pled guilty this morning in federal court to violating the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). The guilty plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Damon P. Martinez and U.S. Marshal Conrad E. Candelaria.
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.
Griffin was arrested on April 28, 2016, on a criminal complaint charging him with violating SORNA by failing to update his sex offender registration. On May 24, 2016, Griffin was indicted on that same charge. According to the indictment, Griffin failed to update his registration between Jan. 23, 2016 and May 1, 2016, in Bernalillo County, N.M.
According to the criminal complaint, Griffin was convicted in Feb. 1993, of breaking and entering, three counts of criminal sexual conduct with a weapon, armed robbery and assault with a dangerous weapon, and was sentenced to not more than 20 years in federal prison. On March 31, 2012, Griffin registered as a sex offender in the state of Michigan and agreed to notify the jurisdiction to which he moved if he relocated outside of the jurisdiction. According to the complaint, the U.S. Marshals Service was notified that Griffin had been residing in Albuquerque since Feb. 2016, and was not registered as a sex offender in the jurisdiction.
During today’s plea hearing, Griffin pled guilty to the indictment and admitted that from Jan. 23, 2016 through May 1, 2016, he failed to update his sex offender registration in Bernalillo County. At sentencing, Griffin faces a statutory maximum penalty of ten years in federal prison. Griffin 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 is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Niki Tapia-Brito.
Navajo Woman from Gallup Sentenced for Federal Involuntary Manslaughter ConvictionRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Clara Beth Joe, 27, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation who resides in Gallup, N.M., was sentenced this morning in Santa Fe, N.M., to 24 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release for her involuntary manslaughter conviction.
Joe was arrested on Aug. 27, 2014, on an indictment filed Aug. 12, 2014, charging her with involuntary manslaughter. The indictment alleged that Joe committed the crime on Jan. 30, 2014, on the Navajo Indian Reservation in San Juan County, N.M.
On Aug. 20, 2015, Joe pled guilty to the indictment and admitted that on Jan. 31, 2014, law enforcement officers found her, heavily intoxicated and suffering from hypothermia, near a creek in Crystal, N.M., on the Navajo Indian Reservation. After inquiries were made about the whereabouts of Joe’s 13-month-old son, the officers found the child, who had drowned, closed to the area where Joe had been found. Joe admitted that her intoxication an important contributing factor in her son’s death.
The Gallup office of the FBI and the Crownpoint office of the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety investigated the case, which was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul H. Spiers.
Albuquerque Woman Sentenced for Federal Mail Theft ConvictionRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Crystal Devon Romero, 33, of Albuquerque, N.M., was sentenced today in federal court to 15 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for her conviction on theft of mail charges.
Romero and codefendant Michelle Josephine Candelaria, 25, also of Albuquerque, were arrested on Jan. 19, 2016, on a criminal complaint charging them with conspiracy and theft of mail. The complaint alleged that the two women conspired with each other to steal mail in Jan. 2015, in Bernalillo County, N.M. Romero and Candelaria pried open cluster mailboxes and stole mail from them. A search of the truck Romero and Candelaria used to carry out their mail theft scheme uncovered stolen mail, including checks that had been altered and debit/credit cards.
On Feb. 29, 2016, Romero and Candelaria pled guilty to felony informations charging them with stealing mail from Jan. 12, 2016 through Jan. 15, 2016. The guilty pleas were entered without the benefit of plea agreements.
At sentencing, Candelaria faces a maximum of five years in federal prison. Her sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Jon Ganjei.
Albuquerque Felon Sentenced to Prison for Unlawfully Possessing Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Francisco Roberto Esquibel, Jr., 34, of Albuquerque, N.M., was sentenced today in federal court to 80 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for unlawfully possessing a firearm and ammunition.
Esquibel was charged in a criminal complaint filed on June 11, 2015, with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. The complaint alleged that Esquibel unlawfully possessed a stolen firearm at his residence in Albuquerque on June 10, 2015. According to the complaint, the Albuquerque Police Department (APD) found the firearm while arresting Esquibel on an outstanding warrant.
Esquibel was subsequently indicted on July 31, 2015. According to the indictment, Esquibel was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because he previously had been convicted of numerous felony crimes, including conspiracy to commit armed robbery, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, felon in possession of a firearm, receiving or transferring a stolen motor vehicle, and possession of controlled substance with intent to distribute.
On Feb. 11, 2016, Esquibel pled guilty to the indictment without the benefit of a plea agreement.
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of Homeland Security Investigations and APD. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacob Wishard prosecuted the case as part of a federal anti-violence initiative that targets “the worst of the worst” offenders for federal prosecution. Under this initiative, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and federal law enforcement agencies work with New Mexico’s District Attorneys and state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to target violent or repeat offenders primarily based on their prior criminal convictions for federal prosecution with the goal of removing repeat offenders from communities in New Mexico for as long as possible. Because New Mexico’s violent crime rate, on a per capita basis, is one of the highest in the nation, New Mexico’s law enforcement community is collaborating to target repeat and violent offenders, primarily based on their prior convictions, from counties with the highest violent crime rates under this initiative.
Prior Felon from Albuquerque Charged with Armed Bank Robbery and Violating the Federal Firearms LawsRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Jason Blackwood, 43, of Albuquerque, N.M., was arraigned in federal court this morning on an indictment charging him with armed bank robbery, brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. During this morning’s proceedings, Blackwood entered a not guilty plea to the indictment. He remains in federal custody pending trial.
Blackwood was arrested on June 1, 2016, on a criminal complaint charging him with the armed bank robbery of the Bank of the West at 780 Juan Tabo Blvd. NE in Albuquerque on that day. The complaint alleged that Blackwood entered the bank, pointed a handgun at a bank teller, and demanded money. After the bank teller responded to Blackwood’s demand for money, Blackwood left the bank.
Blackwood was charged by indictment on June 30, 2016, with armed bank robbery, brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. The indictment alleged that Blackwood committed the three crimes on June 1, 2016, in Bernalillo County, N.M. At the time, Blackwood was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because he previously had been convicted of robbery and second degree commercial burglary.
If convicted, Blackwood faces a statutory maximum penalty of 25 years in prison on the armed bank robbery charge and a statutory maximum penalty of ten years in prison for being a felon in possession. If convicted of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, Blackwood faces a mandatory minimum penalty of seven years in prison, which must be served consecutive to the sentence imposed on other charges. Charges in criminal complaints and indictments are mere accusations. Defendants are presumed innocent unless found guilty in a court of law.
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the FBI and the Albuquerque Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul H. Spiers is prosecuting the case as part of a federal anti-violence initiative that targets “the worst of the worst” offenders for federal prosecution. Under this initiative, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and federal law enforcement agencies work with New Mexico’s District Attorneys and state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to target violent or repeat offenders primarily based on their prior convictions for federal prosecution with the goal of removing repeat offenders from communities in New Mexico for as long as possible. Because New Mexico’s violent crime rates, on a per capita basis, are amongst the highest in the nation, New Mexico’s law enforcement community is collaborating to target repeat offenders from counties with the highest violent crime rates under this initiative.
Navajo Man from To’hajiilee Arraigned on Indictment Charging Him with Assaulting a Federally Commissioned Tribal OfficerRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Bruce Piaso, 34, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation from To’hajiilee, N.M., was arraigned today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., on an indictment charging him with assaulting a federal officer. Piaso entered a not guilty plea to the indictment and was ordered detained pending trial which has yet to be scheduled.
Piaso was arrested on June 3, 2016, on a criminal complaint charging him with assaulting a federal officer. According to the complaint, Piaso allegedly attacked an officer of the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety on May 28, 2016, on the Navajo Indian Reservation by punching and kicking the officer while attempting to avoid arrest. Piaso allegedly jumped on the officer and attempted to take control of the officer’s weapon. At the time of the alleged assault, the tribal officer was commissioned as a Special Law Enforcement Officer by the BIA’s Office of Justice Services. Piaso was taken into tribal custody on May 28, 2016, and remained in tribal custody until his arrest on the federal charge.
Piaso was indicted on June 30, 2016, and charged with assault on a federal officer resulting in bodily injury, and assault on a federal officer with a dangerous weapon. The indictment alleged that Piaso committed the crimes on May 28, 2016, in Cibola County, N.M.
If convicted of the crimes charged in the indictment, Piaso faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. Charges in complaints and indictments are merely accusations. All criminal defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the FBI and the Crownpoint office of the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Marshall is prosecuting the case 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 criminal convictions for federal prosecution with the goal of removing repeat offenders from communities in New Mexico for as long as possible. Because New Mexico’s violent crime rate, on a per capita basis, is one of the highest in the nation, New Mexico’s law enforcement community is collaborating to target repeat offenders from counties with the highest violent crime rates, including Cibola County, under this initiative.
Mescalero Apache Man Pleads Guilty to Failing to Update his Sex Offender RegistrationRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Dabert Wayne Comanche, 34, an enrolled member of the Mescalero Apache Nation who resides in Mescalero, N.M., pled guilty this morning in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to violating the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). The guilty plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Damon P. Martinez and U.S. Marshal Conrad E. Candelaria.
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.
Comanche was charged in a criminal complaint on Feb. 23, 2016, with violating SORNA by failing to update his sex offender registration. On March 23, 2016, Comanche was indicted on that same charge. According to the indictment, Comanche failed to update his registration between April 7, 2014 and Feb. 20, 2016, San Juan County, N.M.
According to the criminal complaint, Comanche was convicted of sexual abuse of a minor in Indian Country in April 2003 and was sentenced to a 78-month prison term. On June 1, 2011, Comanche registered as a sex offender in Mescalero, and agreed to notify the jurisdiction to which he moved if he relocated outside of the jurisdiction. Thereafter, Comanche failed to register as a sex offender with the Mescalero Apache Tribe.
During today’s hearing, Comanche pled guilty to the indictment and admitted that he was convicted of aggravated sexual abuse of a child in April 2003, and was required to register as a sex offender as a result of that conviction. Comanche further admitted that he last reported to the Mescalero Apache Nation on Jan. 7, 2014 and should have reported in April 2014, but failed to comply.
At sentencing, Comanche faces a maximum statutory penalty of ten years in federal prison followed by not less than five years of supervised release. Comanche will be required to register as a sex offender following his prison sentence.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service and the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Marshall is prosecuting the case.
Cochiti Pueblo Man Arraigned on Federal Indictment Alleging Violation of Migratory Bird Treaty ActRead the Press Release
ALBQUERQUE – Wayne Martin, 44, a member and resident of Cochiti Pueblo, N.M., was arraigned this morning in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., on an indictment charging him with violating the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. During today’s proceedings, Martin entered a not guilty plea to the indictment.
The indictment alleges that Martin offered to sell three hawks without previously obtaining permission from the Secretary of the Department of the Interior, in violation of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. According to the indictment, Martin committed the crime on Feb. 29, 2012, in Sandoval County, N.M. The Migratory Bird Treaty Act makes it unlawful to possess, offer for sale, or sell any migratory bird, or any part or product of a migratory bird.
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.
U.S. Attorney Damon P. Martinez to Observe End of Ramadan with Muslim Community at Islamic Center of New MexicoRead the Press Release
ALBUQUEQUE – U.S. Attorney Damon P. Martinez will join Abbas Akhil, President of the Islamic Center of New Mexico, the Albuquerque Muslim Community, and representatives of other faiths tomorrow evening to celebrate the last four days of the holy month of Ramadan. Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and is observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting from dawn to dusk to commemorate the first revelation of the Quran to the Prophet Muhammad. The breaking of the fast for the day will take place at the Islamic Center of New Mexico in Albuquerque, N.M., beginning at 8:30 p.m. on July 2, 2016.
U.S. Attorney Martinez joins the Muslim Community for this observation as part of the Department of Justice’s continuing efforts to address backlash against Muslim, Arab and Sikh Americans following the horrific terrorist attacks in recent months and to combat religious discrimination throughout the country.
“All Americans should be free from violence and protected from hatred no matter who they are,” said U.S. Attorney Martinez. “The Justice Department is committed to safeguarding the civil rights of every American – including Muslim, Arab and Sikh Americans, who are often the targets of threats on the basis of their appearance or religion. There is no place for such intolerance here in New Mexico and throughout our country, and we are committed to working with our law enforcement partners and community leaders to defend the safety and the dignity of all our people.”
“The Albuquerque Muslim community once again welcomes U.S. Attorney Martinez to our Center to share the breaking of the fast with us. This symbolic sharing signifies his commitment to defend the civil rights of all Americans,” said ICNM President Akhil. “This is particularly important at a time when Muslims are targeted by those who misrepresent our faith and are determined to undermine the contributions of American Muslims to the fabric of our great country. The U.S. Attorney’s participation in breaking the fast with us tomorrow reassures my community that we are equal partners in our shared Citizenship.”
“The FBI is committed to safeguarding the civil rights of all Americans, no matter their religion or background,” said Special Agent in Charge Terry Wade of the FBI’s Albuquerque Division. “We look forward to continuing our strong relationship with the Islamic Center of New Mexico as we work together to secure a safe, peaceful future for all Muslim-Americans.”
The Department of Justice has a long-standing commitment to protecting Muslim, Arab and Sikh Americans from threats and violence directed at them because of their religion or ethnicity, and to prevent acts of discrimination against them in the workplace, schools or elsewhere. Nationwide, the Department of Justice has prosecuted more than 60 defendants in such cases, with 58 convictions to date. One of the convictions was obtained in United States v. Payne, a case filed in New Mexico by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. The defendant, a North Carolina man, pleaded guilty in that case in May 2016, to using force or threat of force to intentionally obstruct a Muslim woman in the free exercise of her religious beliefs.
Shiprock Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Child Sexual Abuse ChargeRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Henderson Shorty, 53, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation who resides in Shiprock, N.M., pled guilty this morning in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to an abusive sexual contact charge. Under the terms of his plea agreement, Shorty will be sentenced within the range of 24 to 30 months in federal prison followed by not less than five years of supervised release. Shorty also will be required to register as a sex offender after he completes his prison sentence.
Shorty was arrested in Feb. 2016, on an indictment charging him with abusive sexual contact. The indictment charged Shorty with sexually abusing a child under the age of 12 years on Jan. 24, 2013, in Indian Country in McKinley County, N.M.
During today’s proceedings, Shorty pled guilty to an abusive sexual contact charge in a felony information. In entering the guilty plea, Shorty admitted that from Jan. 1, 2013 through March 31, 2013, he had sexual contact with a child under the age of 12. Shorty admitted committing the crime on the Navajo Indian Reservation. Shorty remains in custody pending a sentencing hearing which has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by the Farmington office of the FBI. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elaine Y. Ramirez 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/.
Prior Felon from Albuquerque Sentenced to Prison for Violating Federal Firearms LawsRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Bradley Soza, 34, of Albuquerque, N.M., was sentenced yesterday afternoon in federal court to 66 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for unlawfully possessing a firearm and ammunition.
Soza was arrested on Feb. 9, 2015, on an indictment charging him charging him with being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition on June 29, 2014, in Bernalillo County, N.M. Soza was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because of his prior felony convictions for armed robbery, conspiracy to commit armed robbery, tampering with evidence, aggravated fleeing a law enforcement officer and being a felon in possession of a firearm or destructive device.
On March 22, 2016, Soza pled guilty to the indictment and admitted that on June 29, 2014, he was in possession of a pistol loaded with ammunition. Soza further admitted that he was prohibited from being in possession of firearms or ammunition because of his status as a convicted felon.
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Albuquerque Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy S. Vasquez prosecuted the case.
MEDIA ADVISORY-- U.S. Attorney Damon P. Martinez to Observe End of Ramadan with Muslim Community at Islamic Center of New MexicoRead the Press Release
ALBUQUEQUE – The U.S. Department of Justice has placed a priority on prosecuting bias crimes and incidents of discrimination against Muslims, Sikhs, and other persons of Arab descent, as well as persons perceived to be members of these groups. It also is engaging in extensive outreach efforts to educate these communities about their rights. U.S. Attorney Damon P. Martinez, President Abbas Akhil of the Islamic Center of New Mexico (ICNM), and Ahmad Assed, ICNM Legal Advisor and Member of the ICNM’s Shura Advisory Council, will be available to address the media at 8:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 2, 2016, at the Islamic Center of New Mexico in Albuquerque, N.M., as part of the Justice Department’s outreach efforts.
They will be joined by representatives of the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. This media opportunity will take place shortly before the breaking of the fast for the day and marks the last few days before the end of the holy month of Ramadan.
WHO:
U.S. Attorney Damon P. Martinez
Abbas Akhil, President of the Islamic Center of New Mexico
Ahmad Assed, ICNM Legal Advisor & Member of Shura Advisory Council
WHAT:
Media Opportunity before Ramadan Observation
WHEN:
Saturday, July 2, 2016 at 8:00 p.m.
WHERE:
Islamic Center of New Mexico
1100 Yale Blvd. SE
Albuquerque, N.M.
OPEN PRESS
NOTE: All media must present government-issued photo I.D. (such as a driver’s license) as well as valid media credentials. Media outlets who wish to participate in this media opportunity should notify the U.S. Attorney’s Office at [email protected] by 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 2, 2016.
Colorado Man Pleads Guilty in New Mexico to Failing to Update Sex Offender RegistrationRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Michael Pawletzki, 34, of Lakewood, Colo., pled guilty today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to violating the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). The guilty plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Damon P. Martinez and U.S. Marshal Conrad E. Candelaria.
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.
Pawletzki was charged by indictment on Nov. 17, 2015, with violating SORNA by failing to update his sex offender registration. During today’s proceedings, Pawletzki pled guilty to a felony information charging him with failing to update his registration from Dec. 2014 through Nov. 2015, in Valencia County, N.M.
Pawletzki remains in custody pending his sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled. At sentencing, Pawletzki faces a maximum penalty of ten years in federal prison. Pawletzki will be required to register as a sex offender after completing his prison sentence.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Raquel Ruiz-Velez.