Courts

FBI: Shiprock Man Sentenced To 15 Years In Prison For Drug And Firearms Offenses

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FBI News:

ALBUQUERQUE — Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, announced July 26, 2023 that Jason E. Begay was sentenced to 15 years in prison.

Begay, 42, of Shiprock, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, pleaded guilty Jan. 24 to possession with intent to distribute 50 grams of methamphetamine, felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, possession with intent to distribute 500 grams and more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine, Read More

NMRLD Files Petition For Preliminary Injunction To Cease Operations Of Albuquerque Cannabis Business  

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NMRLD Superintendent Linda Trujillo

NMRLD News:

SANTA FE – The New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department (NMRLD) announced today that it has filed a Petition for Preliminary Injunction and is seeking an order from the Second Judicial District Court to require Sawmill Sweet Leaf, LLC to immediately cease and desist all cannabis-related activities at the company’s sole business location, 1501 Mountain Dr. NW in Albuquerque.

The petition lays out evidence showing the business has been unlawfully selling out-of-state cannabis products and manufacturing cannabis extracts using volatile Read More

FBI: Former High School Coach From Pecos Sentenced To 30 Years In Prison For Sextortion Scheme

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FBI News:

ALBUQUERQUE – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, announced that Joshua Rico was sentenced to 30 years in prison.

Rico, 27, of Pecos, New Mexico, pleaded guilty on Dec. 22, 2022, to five counts of coercion and enticement of minors.

A federal grand jury indicted Rico on May 12, 2021. According to court documents, beginning as early as January 2018, Rico used multiple profiles on the social media platform Snapchat to coerce female high Read More

FBI: Los Lunas Man Gets 2.4 Years For Federal Gun Charge

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FBI News:

ALBUQERQUE – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, announced today that Diego Fernandez was sentenced to 28 months in prison.

Fernandez, 24, of Los Lunas, pled guilty in federal court on March 7, 2022, to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.

Fernandez was indicted by a federal grand jury on July 15, 2021. According to the plea agreement and other court records, on April 7, 2021, when the New Mexico State Police (NMSP) attempted to execute a traffic Read More

FBI: New Mexico State Police Officer Arrested For Possession, Transportation Of Child Pornography – Faces Up To 20 Years

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FBI News:

ALBUQUERQUE – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, announced today that Sammy Allen Clouthier, 44, of Carlsbad, made an initial appearance in federal court on a criminal complaint charging him with possession of child pornography and transportation of child pornography.

According to the criminal complaint, on April 18, 2023, the FBI was made aware of a tip provided to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) on Dec. 29, 2022, by cloud service Read More

FBI: Albuquerque Man Gets 27 Months For 5 Bank Robberies

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FBI News:

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigations’ Albuquerque Field Office, announced that Jason Smeltzer was sentenced to 27 months in prison.

Smeltzer, 41, of Albuquerque, pled guilty to 5 counts of bank robbery on March 22, 2023.

According to court documents, between Jan. 20 and Feb. 23 of 2022, Smeltzer robbed four Albuquerque banks, one of which he robbed twice. On Jan. 21, the FBI received a tip through the National Threat Operation Center identifying Read More

New Mexico Supreme Court Orders Release Of State Prison Inmate Incarcerated After Sentence Ended

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New Mexico Supreme Court News:

SANTA FE — The New Mexico Supreme Court ordered the release of a prisoner because of an improper sentence for a series of burglaries and thefts in Alamogordo.

The Court unanimously concluded that Rufino Torres was entitled to release because his sentence legally ended Feb. 4, 2017. He was ordered to prison the following year after a district court revoked his probation. In addition, the Court ruled Torres had been subjected to an impermissibly long term of probation. Torres pleaded guilty in 2011 to 16 charges in a plea agreement consolidating four separate criminal Read More

Supreme Court Clarifies Requirements For Domestic Violence Order Of Protection

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Justice David K. Thomson

AOC News:

SANTA FE — New Mexico law does not require victims of domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking to show an immediate threat of harm to obtain an order of protection, the state Supreme Court ruled today.

In a unanimous opinion, the state’s highest court held that New Mexico’s Family Violence Protection Act “does not require petitioners to provide a showing of imminent danger or injury” in seeking a court order protecting them from their alleged abusers.

“The statute is clear; the only predicate finding required is that domestic abuse has occurred. If the Read More

Governor: $10M In Warrant Enforcement Funding Ready For Allocation To District Attorney’s Offices Across New Mexico

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STATE News:

SANTA FE – Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced Tuesday that $10 million in funding is ready to be allocated to district attorney’s offices across New Mexico.

The funding is meant to will help clear the backlog of some 5,000 outstanding felony warrants in the state.

“If you’re abusing the pretrial system in New Mexico: Your time is up,” Gov. Lujan Grisham said. “Violent offenders and people who repeatedly violate their parole should not be able to stay in our communities freely. By giving this funding to district attorneys for the first time, we’re expecting to see more cases being Read More

LAPD Welcomes New Officers Cindy Garcia & Jason Osborn

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New officers Cindy Garcia and Jason Osborn sworn in during a ceremony this morning in Magistrate Court at the Justice Center. Photo by John McHale/ladailypost.com

Los Alamos Magistrate Judge Catherine Taylor administers the Oath of Office to new Los Alamos Police Officer Jason Osborn. Photo by John McHale/ladailypost.com

Ofc. Jason Osborn signs the official paperwork following his swearing in ceremony by Judge Catherine Taylor this morning in Magistrate Court. Photos by John McHale/ladailypost.com

Ofc. Osborn receives his new badge pinned on by his wife Jessie. Photos by John McHale/ladailypost.com Read More