ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO – In a shocking turn of events, Albuquerque couple Yvonne Garcia, 54, and Gerald Roberts, 49, have pleaded guilty to prescription drug trafficking and money laundering charges in federal court. The couple’s guilty pleas come after a lengthy investigation by the Albuquerque office of the DEA.
According to the indictment, Garcia and Roberts conspired to distribute oxycodone, oxymorphone, and alprazolam from May 2016 through September 2016. The indictment also charged the couple with distributing oxycodone on three separate occasions in May, June, and July 2016, distributing oxymorphone on four occasions in May, June, July, and September 2016, and distributing alprazolam in July 2016.
The couple’s plea agreements require them to forfeit the proceeds of their criminal conduct, including more than $87,000 in cash seized from their bank accounts and safe deposit box, as well as a 2016 Toyota Camry, a 2016 Toyota Tacoma truck, and a 2013 BMW motorcycle.
Garcia and Roberts were arrested in September 2016 on an eight-count indictment charging them with trafficking controlled substances in Bernalillo County, New Mexico. The couple’s guilty pleas mark a significant victory for law enforcement in the fight against prescription drug trafficking.
Under the terms of the plea agreements, Garcia will be sentenced to 46 months in prison, while Roberts will be sentenced to 51 months in prison followed by a term of supervised release to be determined by the court.
The case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the DEA, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shana B. Long and Peter J. Eicker are prosecuting the case as part of the New Mexico Heroin and Opioid Prevention and Education (HOPE) Initiative.
The HOPE Initiative was launched in January 2015 by the UNM Health Sciences Center and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in response to the national opioid epidemic, which has had a disproportionately devastating impact on New Mexico. The 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.
Garcia and Roberts remain in custody pending sentencing hearings, which have yet to be scheduled. The couple’s guilty pleas serve as a reminder of the consequences of engaging in prescription drug trafficking and money laundering activities.
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Key Facts
- State: New Mexico
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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