Christopher Gonzales, Heroin Trafficking, New Mexico 2015

ALBUQUERQUE – In a stunning blow to public trust, a former corrections officer at the Sandoqueral County Detention Center has pleaded guilty to a federal heroin trafficking charge, Grimy Times has learned.

In a shocking twist, Christopher Gonzales, 20, of Rio Rancho, N.M., admitted to bringing heroin to the Detention Center with the intention of delivering it to an inmate on Aug. 2, 2015. Gonzales, who was working as an officer at the time, faces up to 18 months in federal prison to be followed by a term of supervised release to be determined by the court.

Gonzales and co-defendant Fabrienne Rosalinda Morales, 39, of Peralta, N.M., were arrested in Jan. 2016, on a five-count indictment charging them with conspiracy. The indictment also charged Gonzales with possession of heroin and suboxone with intent to distribute, and Morales with distribution of heroin and suboxone.

According to court documents, the three defendants committed the crimes charged on Aug. 2, 2015, in Sandoval County, N.M. Gonzales’ guilty plea is a significant development in the ongoing investigation, which has been led by the Albuquerque office of the DEA.

The case is part of the New Mexico Heroin and Opioid Prevention and Education (HOPE) Initiative, a multi-faceted program launched in January 2015 by the UNM Health Sciences Center and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in response to the national opioid epidemic. The HOPE Initiative aims to protect communities from the dangers associated with heroin and opioid painkillers and reducing the number of opioid-related deaths in New Mexico.

The HOPE Initiative is comprised of five components: prevention and education, treatment, law enforcement, reentry, and strategic planning. Targeting members of major heroin and opioid trafficking organizations for investigation and prosecution is a priority of the HOPE Initiative.

As Grimy Times continues to investigate this developing story, we will provide updates as more information becomes available.

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