Omil Cotto, Methamphetamine Trafficking, New Mexico 2019

Omil Cotto, 33, Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Methamphetamine Trafficking and Weapon Possession

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - A local man was sentenced in federal court yesterday to 15 years in prison for his involvement in a drug trafficking crime.

Omil Cotto, 33, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, was sentenced to 180 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

The charges stem from a car crash Cotto was involved in on May 31, 2018, while driving to distribute methamphetamine in Albuquerque. According to public court records, after the crash, Cotto fired several shots at the other vehicle as it drove away.

Law enforcement officers located Cotto at his residence soon after the shooting and obtained a warrant to search his home. The search uncovered a backpack containing a pistol of the same caliber used in the shooting, as well as approximately 877.1 grams of methamphetamine.

According to Cotto's plea agreement, he possessed the pistol to protect his methamphetamine.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated this case in conjunction with the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter J. Eicker prosecuted the case as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program, which is a nationwide program that combines the resources and expertise of federal agencies and their local counterparts to disrupt and dismantle major drug trafficking organizations.

Cotto previously pleaded guilty to these offenses on June 10, 2019.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-nm/pr/man-albuquerque-sentenced-15-years-federal-prison-drug-trafficking-and-weapon-possession