Albuquerque’s Phillip Gonzales Pleads Guilty to Heroin Trafficking

ALBUQUERQUE – In a gritty turn of events, Phillip Larry Gonzales, 28, of Albuquerque, has confessed to federal heroin trafficking charges. Gonzales faced justice today after pleading guilty in a federal court.

The man from Albuquerque is set to serve 36 to 48 months behind bars followed by supervised release to be determined by the court. His sentence comes as the result of an ATF-led investigation that laid bare the city’s crime underworld.

Arrested on August 10, 2016, Gonzales was charged with distributing heroin in Bernalillo County on July 27, 2016. The indictment against him required a $1,100 forfeiture to the United States.

This investigation, which led to 59 federal indictments and one criminal complaint, has been a collaborative effort of federal, state, county, and local law enforcement agencies in New Mexico. It was part of an initiative targeting ‘the worst of the worst’ offenders for federal prosecution to combat the high rate of violent crime in Albuquerque.

Under the HOPE Initiative, which fights the national opioid epidemic head-on, Gonzales is just one of 14 defendants who have entered guilty pleas out of a total of 104 charged. The HOPE Initiative aims to protect communities from the dangers associated with heroin and opioids and reduce related deaths in New Mexico.

Investigated by ATF and DEA, this case marks another victory for the law enforcement agencies committed to the HOPE Initiative’s goal of eradicating major drug trafficking organizations. For more information on the HOPE Initiative, visit www.HopeInitiativeNM.org.