Dwayne Cunningham, Methamphetamine Trafficking, New Mexico 2016

ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO – In a major blow to the city’s drug trade, Dwayne Cunningham, a 49-year-old Albuquerque man, has been sentenced to 60 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for his conviction on a methamphetamine trafficking charge.

Cunningham was one of several individuals arrested in July 2016 as part of a multi-agency investigation led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). The operation targeted drug trafficking and firearms crime in Bernalillo County.

The investigation, which concluded in August 2016, 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. To date, 68 of the 104 defendants charged in the investigation have entered guilty pleas and 31 of them have been sentenced.

Cunningham and his co-defendants, Devell Devoual, 35, and Cedric Laneham, 39, were accused of conspiring to distribute methamphetamine between May 16, 2016, and June 2, 2016. Devoual and Laneham were also charged with distributing methamphetamine on May 17, 2016, and Devoual and Cunningham with possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute on June 2, 2016.

On May 2, 2017, Cunningham pled guilty to distributing more than 50 grams of methamphetamine on May 17, 2016. Co-defendant Devoual also entered a guilty plea, while Laneham has entered a not guilty plea and remains in custody pending his trial.

The case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of ATF and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David M. Walsh and Norman Cairns. The U.S. Attorney’s Office and federal law enforcement agencies collaborated with New Mexico’s District Attorneys and state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies to target violent or repeat offenders for federal prosecution.

This sentencing marks a significant victory in the ongoing fight against methamphetamine trafficking in Bernalillo County. The Grimy Times will continue to follow this case and provide updates as more information becomes available.

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