Lorenzo Chavez, Armed Robbery, New Mexico 2015

ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO – In a shocking turn of events, two Albuquerque residents have pleaded guilty to armed robbery charges in connection with a daring heist at the Route 66 Casino Xpress in Laguna Pueblo, New Mexico. Lorenzo Chavez, 25, and James Montano, Jr., 23, both of Albuquerque, entered guilty pleas yesterday in federal court to violating the Hobbs Act by robbing the casino at gunpoint on December 13, 2015.

Chavez, Montano, and co-defendant Sara Ruiz, 39, of Grants, New Mexico, were initially charged in a three-count indictment filed on June 30, 2016, with conspiracy to violate the Hobbs Act, violating the Hobbs Act by robbing the casino at gunpoint, and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. The indictment alleged that the trio committed the crimes on December 13, 2015, in Bernalillo County, New Mexico.

During yesterday’s proceedings, Chavez and Montano pleaded guilty to Count 2 of the indictment, charging them with violating the Hobbs Act by robbing the Route 66 Casino Xpress at gunpoint on December 13, 2015. Chavez also pleaded guilty to Count 3 of the indictment, charging him with brandishing a firearm during that robbery.

In a separate case, Chavez pleaded guilty to possessing almost 61 gross grams of methamphetamine on December 19, 2015, which he intended to distribute to others. He also pleaded guilty to robbing an Allsups convenience store at gunpoint on December 29, 2015.

Both Chavez and Montano remain in custody pending sentencing hearings, which have yet to be scheduled. Under the terms of his plea agreement, Chavez will be sentenced within the range of 120 to 180 months in prison. Montano faces a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

Ruiz, the third defendant, has entered a plea of not guilty to the charges in the case involving the Route 66 Casino Xpress. She is in custody pending trial, which currently is scheduled for March 20, 2017.

The case against Chavez, Montano, and Ruiz was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the FBI and the Pueblo of Laguna Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elaine Y. Ramirez and Kristopher N. Houghton. The case arising from the armed robbery of the Allsups convenience store and methamphetamine trafficking was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Albuquerque Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul Mysliwiec and Letitia Carroll Simms.

Related Federal Cases