Albuquerque Couple Guilty of Drug Smuggling & Money Laundering

ALBUQUERQUE – In a stunning turn of events, Yvonne Garcia, 54, and Gerald Roberts, 49, a couple from Albuquerque, N.M., have been hit with substantial prison sentences following their guilty plea to drug trafficking and money laundering charges. The couple, who were arrested in September 2016, admitted to selling oxycodone, oxymorphone, and alprazolam during the months of May through September 2016.

The court’s decision follows an investigation by the DEA Albuquerque office, which revealed a sophisticated money-laundering scheme. Garcia and Roberts used their illegal drug proceeds to pay off residential mortgages and vehicle loans, depositing amounts that avoided currency-reporting thresholds. The couple’s illegal activities netted over $87,000 in cash, three vehicles, and resulted in a 2016 Toyota Camry, a 2016 Toyota Tacoma truck, and a 2013 BMW motorcycle being seized.

According to the plea agreements, Garcia will serve 46 months in prison while Roberts faces 51 months behind bars. Both will be subject to supervised release terms to be determined by the court. The couple also agreed to forfeit their criminal proceeds, including the cash and vehicles, as part of their plea deal.

The investigation was part of the New Mexico Heroin and Opioid Prevention and Education (HOPE) Initiative, a partnership launched in 2015 to combat the devastating impact of opioids on public safety, health, and economic viability. The HOPE Initiative targets major heroin and opioid trafficking organizations for investigation and prosecution.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shana B. Long and Peter J. Eicker are prosecuting this case as part of the HOPE Initiative. For more information about the New Mexico HOPE Initiative and its efforts to combat drug-related crimes, visit http://www.HopeInitiativeNM.org.

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