David Torrez, Methamphetamine Trafficking, New Mexico 2016

ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico - In a federal anti-violence initiative targeting "the worst of the worst" offenders, a 32-year-old Albuquerque resident pleaded guilty to methamphetamine trafficking.

David Torrez, 32, entered a guilty plea on September 26, 2017 to a methamphetamine trafficking charge.

Torrez and co-defendant Jeneill Ayala, 25, were charged by indictment on July 28, 2016 with conspiracy and distributing methamphetamine on June 21, 2016 in Bernalillo County.

Torrez pled guilty to Count 2 of the indictment and admitted selling approximately two ounces of methamphetamine to an undercover law enforcement agent on June 21, 2016. At sentencing, Torrez faces a statutory penalty of not less than five years and not more than 40 years in federal prison. His sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled.

Ayala has entered a not guilty plea to the charges in the indictment and is pending trial, which is scheduled for November 27, 2017.

In related news, two other Albuquerque residents were sentenced for their convictions on methamphetamine trafficking offenses. Joshua Sedillo, 31, was sentenced to 140 months in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release, while his co-defendant Ramon Quezada, 33, was sentenced to 48 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release.

Sedillo and Quezada were arrested in July 2016, on an indictment charging them with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine on May 11, 2016 and Sedillo individually with distributing methamphetamine on May 25, 2016.

Quezada pled guilty to a felony information charging him with distributing methamphetamine and admitted that on May 11, 2016, he possessed approximately 90 grams of methamphetamine which he intended to transfer to another person. Sedillo pled guilty to the indictment on April 18, 2017, without the benefit of a plea agreement.

This investigation was undertaken in support of a federal anti-violence initiative that targets "the worst of the worst" offenders for federal prosecution. The U.S. Attorney's Office and federal law enforcement agencies collaborate with New Mexico's District Attorneys and state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to target violent or repeat offenders for federal prosecution primarily based on their prior criminal convictions with the goal of removing repeat offenders from communities in New Mexico for as long as possible.

These cases were investigated by the Albuquerque office of ATF. Assistant U.S. Attorney Presiliano Torrez prosecuted Sedillo and Quezada, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Eva Fontanez is prosecuting Torrez.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-nm/pr/another-defendant-pleads-guilty-and-two-more-are-sentenced-federal-charges-arising-out