Kamal Bhula, Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises, New Mexico 2023

ABQ Man Behind ‘One-Stop Shop’ for Crime Gets 57 Months in Prison

ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO – In a move aimed at tackling the city’s rampant crime problem, a federal judge sentenced Kamal Bhula, 44, to 57 months in federal prison for maintaining a drug-involved premises in southeast Albuquerque.

Bhula, the on-site manager of the notorious Best Choice Inn, employed workers and rented rooms to individuals who he knew were using and selling controlled substances at the hotel. The motel was described as a ‘one-stop shop’ for all sorts of illicit activity.

Between January 2018 and December 2018, there were approximately 195 calls for service to the Best Choice Inn, highlighting the level of chaos and lawlessness that Bhula’s scheme had unleashed on the community.

Bhula’s scheme involved a kickback scheme that required drug traffickers and users to pay a ‘visitor fee’ if they wanted to use the motel as a sanctuary for their illicit activities.

The case against Bhula was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the New Mexico Attorney General’s Office, the Albuquerque Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office, New Mexico State Police, and Homeland Security Investigations.

Bhula’s co-defendants, Pragneshkumar Patel and Johnathan Craft, also pleaded guilty for their parts in the scheme and were sentenced to 30 and 70 months in prison, respectively. Patel was also ordered to pay fines in the amount of $40,000 and $9,000 in restitution and ordered to forfeit the Best Choice Inn.

Bhula faces likely deportation to South Africa as a consequence of this conviction.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico and the Drug Enforcement Administration made the announcement today.

The case demonstrates the ongoing efforts of law enforcement agencies to tackle crime and maintain public safety in Albuquerque.

Defendant: Kamal Bhula

Criminal Charges: Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises

City and State: Albuquerque, New Mexico

Crime Date: January 2018 – December 2018

Sentence: 57 months in federal prison

Fine: None

MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS

Drug Trafficking

Jermaine McQueen, Fentanyl Trafficking, New York 2024

Aug 1, 2025

Drug Trafficking

Alvin Mitchell, Fentanyl Trafficking, Nebraska 2026

Mar 26, 2026

Drug Trafficking

Douglas Robert Finch, Marijuana Trafficking, Minnesota 2021

Jun 30, 2021

Drug Trafficking

Emerson Reyes-Andrade, Methamphetamine Distribution, Nebraska 2026

Jul 9, 2026