Benjamin Marquez, Methamphetamine Trafficking, New Mexico 2016

Albuquerque Man Pleads Guilty to Methamphetamine Trafficking Charge

Benjamin Marquez, 42, of Albuquerque, N.M., has pleaded guilty to a methamphetamine trafficking charge in federal court.

According to court records, Marquez’s plea agreement includes a recommendation of 60 months of imprisonment followed by a period of supervised release to be determined by the court.

Marquez and his co-defendant Richard Lucero, 37, were arrested during an ATF-led investigation that resulted in the filing of 59 federal indictments and a federal criminal complaint charging 104 Bernalillo County residents with federal firearms and narcotics trafficking offenses.

The investigation, which began in mid-April 2016, was undertaken in support of a federal anti-violence initiative that targets ‘the worst of the worst’ offenders for federal prosecution. The initiative aims to remove repeat offenders from communities in New Mexico for as long as possible.

Marquez and Lucero were arrested in August 2016, on a five-count indictment alleging drug trafficking offenses. Marquez was charged individually with distribution of heroin on May 5, 2016, and Marquez and Lucero were charged with conspiring to distribute methamphetamine from May 6, 2016 through June 1, 2016, and distribution of methamphetamine on May 6, 2016, May 18, 2016, and June 1, 2016.

During today’s proceedings, Marquez pleaded guilty to distributing methamphetamine, and admitted that on June 1, 2016, he sold approximately 60 grams of methamphetamine to an undercover law enforcement agent.

Marquez remains in custody pending a sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled.

To date, 45 of the 104 defendants, including Lucero, have entered guilty pleas, and 18 have been sentenced. The remaining defendants have entered not guilty pleas.

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 ATF, and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eva Fontanez.

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