ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico – In a shocking turn of events, Roy Christopher, 29, of Albuquerque, was sentenced to 41 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for his theft of medical products conviction arising out of the robbery of a retail pharmacy in August 2014.
The incident occurred at a CVS Pharmacy on Aug. 3, 2014, when Christopher handed the attending pharmacy employee a note demanding Oxycodone and stole more than 200 Oxycodone pills of various dosages during the robbery.
Christopher was one of six defendants charged in four indictments that were announced by federal and local officials on April 29, 2015. The indictments alleged that the six defendants robbed retail pharmacies in Albuquerque to illegally obtain Oxycodone and other highly addictive opioid painkillers.
On November 17, 2015, Christopher pled guilty to Count 2 of the indictment charging him with violating the Safe Doses Act by theft of medical products. He admitted to handing the pharmacy employee a note demanding Oxycodone and stealing the pills during the robbery.
The pharmacy robbery cases involving the other five defendants have been resolved as follows:
- Victor Hurtado, 20, pled guilty to felony charges arising out of the January 6, 2015, armed robbery of the Smith’s Pharmacy located at 4016 Louisiana Blvd. NE in Albuquerque. He was sentenced on December 10, 2015, to 141 months in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release.
- Valentin Garcia, 23, pled guilty to felony charges arising out of the January 30, 2015, armed robbery of the CVS Pharmacy located at 4201 Montano in Albuquerque. He was sentenced on December 17, 2015, to ten years in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release.
- Blake Gallardo, 22, pled guilty to felony charges arising out of the June 6, 2015, robbery of a Walgreens Pharmacy located at 1201 Unser Blvd. NW in Albuquerque. He was sentenced on December 15, 2015, to 15 years in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release.
- Josephine Duran, 23, pled guilty to felony charges arising out of the June 6, 2015, robbery of a Walgreens Pharmacy located at 1201 Unser Blvd. NW in Albuquerque. She will be sentenced to a prison term within the range of 48 to 100 months.
- Joseph Montano, 23, pled guilty to felony charges arising out of the January 6, 2015, armed robbery of the Smith’s Pharmacy located at 4016 Louisiana Blvd. NE in Albuquerque. He will be sentenced within the range of 80 to 120 months in federal prison.
The cases were investigated by the Albuquerque office of the FBI, the Tactical Diversion Squad of the DEA in Albuquerque, and the Albuquerque Police Department, with assistance from the 2nd Judicial District Attorney’s Office in Bernalillo County. The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shaheen P. Torgoley and Joel R. Meyers.
The DEA’s Tactical Diversion Squads combine DEA resources with those of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies in an innovative effort to investigate, disrupt and dismantle major diversion and trafficking organizations responsible for the diversion of pharmaceuticals and other controlled substances.
Related Federal Cases
- Michael Thompson, Pharmacy Robbery, Maine 2012 · Louisiana
- Keylee Rose Moore, Bank Robbery, New Mexico 2024 · Louisiana
- Juan Carlos Pirpich, Methamphetamine Trafficking, New Mexico 2023 · Louisiana
- Clement Leach, Bank Robbery, Louisiana 2020 · Louisiana
- Scott E. Coats, Bank Robbery, Louisiana 2013 · Louisiana
Key Facts
- State: New Mexico
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
ðŸâ€Â’ Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
Drug Trafficking|Violent CrimeDrug Trafficking|Violent CrimeDrug Trafficking|Violent CrimeDrug Trafficking|Violent Crime