Carlsbad Man Sentenced for Illegal Firearms and Methamphetamine Distribution

ALBUQUERQUE – A Carlsbad man was sentenced to 211 months in prison after police chase and crash leads to the discovery of methamphetamine and firearms.

There is no parole in the federal system.

According to court documents, on June 5, 2022, a Carlsbad Police officer attempted a traffic stop on a speeding pickup driven by Christopher Saunders, 25, who fled at a high rate of speed, leading the officer to terminate the pursuit for safety reasons. Minutes later, the officer located the same truck after it had crashed and provided first aid to Saunders. During an inventory search of the pickup, officers found suspected methamphetamine and a firearm inside.

A subsequent search warrant uncovered 57.02 grams of methamphetamine and two loaded firearms. Saunders was prohibited from possessing firearms due to a prior felony conviction in 2019.

Saunders pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession of a forearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Upon his release from prison, Saunders will be subject to five years of supervised release.

Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Philip Russell, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The Roswell Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Eddy County Sheriff's Office and Carlsbad Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark A. Saltman is prosecuting the case.