Las Cruces Man Sentenced for Meth Conspiracy

ALBUQUERQUE – The grim streets of Las Cruces witnessed a hard sentence today as Michael Angelo Strubhar, 47, was handed a 41-month prison term, followed by three years of supervised release. The U.S. Attorney Damon P. Martinez and Special Agent in Charge Will R. Glaspy of the DEA’s El Paso Division announced the sentence for Strubhar’s conviction on methamphetamine trafficking charges.

Strubhar and his co-defendant Chayanne Armando Nino, 25, were nabbed by law enforcement in January 2016, following a criminal complaint that accused them of methamphetamine trafficking. The evidence revealed a July 13, 2015, deal where Strubhar and Nino sold meth to an undercover DEA agent.

The duo was indicted on February 17, 2016, facing charges of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and distributing the drug in Doña Ana County. They each entered guilty pleas on June 1, 2016, admitting their roles in the July 2015 distribution of 12.2 grams of meth to a law enforcement agent under cover. Nino was sentenced to 120 months in prison and three years of supervised release later in 2017.

This investigation was a team effort by the DEA’s Las Cruces office, with prosecution handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney John Balla of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office.

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