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Las Cruces Duo Faces 20 Years for Meth Trafficking
Grimy Times, ALBUQUERQUE – Two Las Cruces residents, David S. Thompson, 29 and Marlene C. Sandoval, 38, have pleaded guilty to federal methamphetamine trafficking charges in a New Mexico court.
The pair was arrested in November 2015 after 499 grams of crystal methamphetamine was found in their vehicle during a routine traffic stop by New Mexico Department of Transportation officers. The officers had pulled over the duo for speeding on October 16, 2015.
Thompson and Sandoval were subsequently indicted on February 17, 2016 and charged with conspiracy and possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. The duo admitted to intending to distribute the methamphetamine in Las Cruces.
At sentencing, Thompson and Sandoval each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison followed by not less than three years of supervised release. Both remain in custody pending sentencing hearings, which have yet to be scheduled.
The case was investigated by the Las Cruces office of the DEA, the New Mexico Department of Transportation Police, the Las Cruces Police Department, and the HIDTA Regional Interagency Drug Task Force/Metro Narcotics Task Force.
The HIDTA Regional Interagency Drug Task Force/Metro Narcotics Task Force is comprised of officers from the Las Cruces Police Department, the Doña Ana County Sheriff’s Office, the FBI, HSI and the New Mexico State Police. The High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program was created by Congress with the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988.
Thompson and Sandoval’s guilty pleas mark a significant blow to the methamphetamine trade in Las Cruces and surrounding areas. The U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office is prosecuting the case, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark A. Saltman leading the charge.
Key Facts
- State: New Mexico
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime|Sex Crimes|Cybercrime|Public Corruption|Weapons|Human Trafficking|White Collar Crime|Organized Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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