Jesus Ramirez, Carrying a Firearm in Relation to a Drug Trafficking Crime, New Mexico 2016

State: New Mexico
Category: Violent Crime|Weapons
Source: <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-nm/pr/albuquerque-resident-pleads-guilty-violating-federal-firearms-laws-0" style="color:#cc0000;" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">DOJ Press Release ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â‚¬Â Ã¢â‚¬â€

ALBUQUERQUE – A local resident has admitted to violating federal firearms laws by carrying a loaded gun while distributing narcotics, according to court documents.

Jesus Ramirez, 26, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, pleaded guilty today in federal court to one count of carrying a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime. The charge stems from an August 2016 incident in which Ramirez was found carrying a loaded firearm while distributing methamphetamine and heroin.

Ramirez is the latest defendant to enter a guilty plea in a massive federal indictment that has charged 104 Bernalillo County residents with narcotics and firearms trafficking offenses. The case began in April 2016, when the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) launched an investigation into the high rate of violent crime in the Albuquerque metropolitan area.

The investigation, which involved federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, resulted in the filing of 59 federal indictments and one federal criminal complaint. Richard Porras, 30, and Jonathan Griego, 27, both of Albuquerque, are among those charged in the case.

Porras and Griego, who were arrested in August 2016, are accused of conspiracy and possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. They also face charges related to firearm offenses. Ramirez’s co-defendants have entered not guilty pleas, and their cases are ongoing.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Ramirez faces a statutory mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison. A sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul H. Spiers. To date, 23 of the 104 defendants have entered guilty pleas, and one has been sentenced.

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