Arizona Man Sentenced to 87 Months in Federal Prison for Methamphetamine Trafficking Conviction in New Mexico

ALBUQUERQUE – Charles Douglas Notbohm, Jr., 51, of Tuscon, Ariz., was sentenced today in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M., for his conviction on drug trafficking charges.  Notbohm was sentenced to 87 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release.

Notbohm was arrested in Lordsburg, N.M., on Feb. 21, 2014, after officers executed a search warrant on the vehicle in which he was traveling and found more than 116 grams of methamphetamine.  On May 21, 2014, Notbohm, James Richard Reeves, 46, also of Tucson, and Armando Conrad Gonzales, 34, of Las Cruces, were indicted and charged with conspiracy and possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute.  On July 16, 2014, Notbohm, Reeves and Gonzales were charged in a superseding indictment with conspiracy and possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute.  The superseding indictment also charged Gonzales with being a felon in possession of a firearm

Notbohm pled guilty on Oct. 7, 2014, to a felony information charging him with conspiracy and possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute.  In entering his guilty plea, Notbohm admitted that on Feb. 21, 2014, he and Reeves were driving from Tucson to Las Cruces for the purpose of delivering methamphetamine to Gonzales.  He further admitted that as the two men were driving through Lordsburg, they were stopped by a police officer who found more than 116 grams of methamphetamine in their vehicle.

On Sept. 18, 2014, Reeves pled guilty to the two methamphetamine trafficking charges in the superseding indictment without the benefit of a plea agreement.  At sentencing, Reeves faces a sentence of not less than five years and not more than 40 years in prison.  Reeves remains in custody pending a sentencing hearing which has yet to be scheduled.

On Nov. 18, 2014, Gonzales pled guilty to Counts 1 and 3 of the superseding indictment, charging him with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and being a felon in possession of a firearm.  In entering his guilty plea, Gonzales admitted making an agreement with Reeves to purchase four ounces of methamphetamine from Reeves which Reeves and Notbohm were to transport from Tucson to Las Cruces.  Gonzales further admitted that on April 11, 2014, he possessed a firearm and ammunition even though he was prohibited from doing so based on his status as a convicted felon. 

This case was investigated by Deming office of Homeland Security Investigations and the Lordsburg Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna R. Wright of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office.