Former Albuquerque Resident Pleads Guilty to Federal Cocaine Trafficking Charges

ALBUQUERQUE – Mario Gomez, 29, a former resident of Albuquerque, N.M., who now resides in Denver, Colo., entered a guilty plea today in federal court to cocaine trafficking charges.  The guilty plea was entered pursuant to a plea agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Gomez was arrested in Jan. 2015, and charged along with co-defendants Erasmo Alamilla, 32, also of Albuquerque, and Janelle Montes, 34, of Rio Rancho, N.M., in a nine-count indictment alleging cocaine trafficking offenses committed in Bernalillo County, N.M.  The indictment charged the defendants as follows:  (1) Gomez, Alamilla and Montes with conspiracy to distribute cocaine from June 11, 2014 through Oct. 6, 2014; (2) Gomez and Alamilla with distribution of cocaine on June 11, 2014; (3) Gomez and Alamilla with distribution of cocaine on July 7, 2014; (4) Montes and Alamilla with distribution of cocaine on Aug. 7, 2014; (5) Montes and Alamilla with distribution of cocaine on Sept. 12, 2014; (6) Alamilla with possession of cocaine within a vehicle he was operating with intent to distribute on Oct. 6, 2014; (7) Alamilla with possession of cocaine within a residence with intent to distribute on Oct. 6, 2014; (8) Alamilla and Gomez with the use of a communication facility, a telephone, in the commission of a drug trafficking crime on Aug. 25, 2014; and (9) Alamilla and Montes with the use of a communication facility, a telephone, in the commission of a drug trafficking crime on Sept. 12, 2014.  The indictment also called for the forfeiture of $26,034.00 by Gomez, Alamilla and Montes as the proceeds of their drug trafficking activities.

During today’s plea hearing, Gomez pled guilty to Counts 1, 2, 3 and 8 of the indictment.  Gomez admitted that on June 11, 2014, he sold 282 grams of cocaine that he obtained from Alamilla to another individual, on July 6, 2014, he sold 283.6 grams of cocaine that he obtained from Alamilla to another individual and on Aug. 25, 2014, he communicated by telephone with Alamilla to discuss Alamilla supplying Gomez with additional cocaine to sell to others.  Gomez further admitted that he withdrew from the cocaine trafficking conspiracy on Aug. 31, 2014.

Alamilla pled guilty on May 13, 2015, to Counts 1 through 5, 8 and 9 of the indictment, and admitted supplying Gomez and Montes with amounts of cocaine to sell to others from June 11, 2014 through Oct. 6, 2014.  Montes pled guilty on Sept. 21, 2015, to Counts 1, 4, 5 and 9 of the indictment, and admitted to selling amounts of cocaine to others that she had obtained from Alamilla.  Montes further admitted communicating on a telephone with Alamilla regarding the supply of cocaine to Montes.

At sentencing, Gomez and Montes each face a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in prison followed by not less than three years of supervised release.  Under the terms of his plea agreement, Alamilla will be sentenced to 46 months in federal prison followed by a term of supervised release to be determined by the court.  All three co-defendants will be ordered to forfeit $21,100.00 jointly to the court as the proceeds of their drug trafficking activities.  Sentencing hearings have yet to be scheduled.

This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the DEA and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shaheen P. Torgoley.