ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A Santa Fe man, Phillip Lovato, 30, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for his conviction on heroin trafficking and firearms charges.
Lovato was arrested by the FBI on Feb. 10, 2015, on a complaint charging him with heroin trafficking and firearms charges. A federal grand jury returned a seven-count indictment against Lovato on Feb. 25, 2015, charging him with two counts of distributing heroin, two counts of possession of heroin with intent to distribute, two counts of being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition, and one count of using and carrying a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Lovato pleaded guilty on Feb. 16, 2016, to two counts of possession of heroin with intent to distribute, one count of using a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. In his plea agreement, Lovato admitted selling heroin from a residence on Alta Vista Street in Santa Fe on Nov. 17, 2014.
On that day, Lovato was carrying a black backpack containing heroin and a semi-automatic pistol that he used to protect the drugs he was carrying and the proceeds from his drug sales. When Lovato’s pickup truck was stopped by law enforcement officers, they seized 40 grams of heroin and the semi-automatic pistol from Lovato’s backpack.
Lovato was subsequently arrested outside a residence in Santa Fe. Before his arrest, Lovato left a semi-automatic handgun inside the residence. Following Lovato’s arrest, law enforcement officers seized the handgun when they executed a consensual search of the residence.
Lovato was ordered to forfeit $49,242 in drug proceeds and two firearms. He was also ordered to serve four years of supervised release after his 10-year prison sentence. Lovato’s sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Damon P. Martinez, Special Agent in Charge Terry Wade of the FBI’s Albuquerque Division, and New Mexico State Police Lt. Scott McFaul, the Commander of the HIDTA Region III Drug Task Force.
The case was investigated by the Santa Fe office of the FBI and the HIDTA Region III Drug Task Force, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy S. Vasquez. Lovato has two prior drug trafficking convictions and an aggravated assault conviction.
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Key Facts
- State: New Mexico
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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