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Texas Man Gets 10 Years for Meth Trafficking
ALBUQUERQUE – Nicolas Robert Muniz, 27, of Monahans, Tex., was sentenced to 120 months in prison followed by four years of supervised release for his conviction on drug trafficking and firearms charges.
Muniz was charged by criminal complaint on June 5, 2017, after law enforcement officers seized approximately 504 grams of methamphetamine, 50 grams of marijuana, and firearms and ammunition from Muniz’s vehicle during a routine traffic stop.
During the traffic stop, officers deployed a drug detection canine on Muniz’s vehicle after observing that Muniz was acting in a suspicious and nervous manner. They searched the vehicle and found the drugs after the canine alerted to the presence of controlled substances in the vehicle.
Muniz and his co-defendant, Michael Dwain Samples, 26, also from Monahans, were subsequently charged in a six-count indictment filed on Sept. 13, 2017. The indictment charged the two men with participating in a methamphetamine distribution conspiracy and possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute.
On Jan. 16, 2018, Muniz pled guilty to a four-count felony information charging him with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Muniz admitted that on May 16, 2017, he agreed to drive Samples from Monahans to Carlsbad, N.M., to purchase approximately 469 grams of methamphetamine. He also admitted to possessing a loaded firearm under his seat of the vehicle he was driving.
Muniz was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because he was a convicted felon. He also used the firearm and ammunition for protection and in furtherance of his drug trafficking activities.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the New Mexico State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brock E. Taylor and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Joni L. Autrey of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office prosecuted the case.
Michael Dwain Samples, Muniz’s co-defendant, was sentenced to 10 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release. He pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
Key Facts
- State: New Mexico
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Violent Crime|Weapons
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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