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Press Release

Las Cruces Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Narcotics Trafficking and Firearms Conviction

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of New Mexico

ALBUQUERQUE – Ronald Lee Gore, 31, of Las Cruces, N.M., was sentenced today in federal court to 63 months in prison followed by four years of supervised release for his conviction on methamphetamine trafficking and firearms charges. 

Gore and his co-defendant Marcus Dupre, 29, of Phoenix, Ariz., were charged in a criminal complaint on Oct. 6, 2014, with methamphetamine trafficking and firearms offenses.  The two men, together with Jose Miramontes, 36, and Ramona Baca, 31, both of Las Cruces, N.M., were subsequently indicted on Dec. 10, 2014, and the indictment was superseded in Feb. 2015.

 The superseding indictment charged Gore with participating in three methamphetamine trafficking conspiracies, distribution of methamphetamine, conspiracy to possess a fully automatic machinegun, possession of a machinegun, and being a felon in possession of firearms.  At the time, Gore was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because he previously had been convicted of theft in the first degree and burglary in the second degree.  According to the superseding indictment, Gore committed the crimes between April 22, 2014 and Oct. 2, 2014, in Doña Ana County, N.M.  Gore pled guilty to the superseding indictment without the benefit of a plea agreement on April 27, 2015. 

Co-defendant Dupre pled guilty on Jan. 20, 2015, to methamphetamine trafficking charges, and admitted that on Oct. 2, 2014, he conspired with Gore to sell methamphetamine to an undercover federal agent in exchange for a fully automatic machinegun.  Dupre was sentenced on Sept. 14, 2015, to 34 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release.

Co-defendant Baca pled guilty on May 12, 2015, to distributing methamphetamine and admitted that on June 23, 2014, she hand-delivered 24.3 grams of methamphetamine to an undercover federal agent in exchange for cash.  Baca was sentenced on March 1, 2016, to a year and a day in prison followed by two years of supervised release.

Co-defendant Miramontes pled guilty on Dec. 15, 2015, to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition and admitted that on April 23, 2014,  he conspired to distribute 4.2 grams of methamphetamine to an undercover agent.  Miramontes further admitted that on Dec. 15, 2014, he possessed a firearm ammunition even though he was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because of his prior felony conviction of residential burglary.  Miramontes was sentenced on July 26, 2016, to 27 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release.

This case was investigated by the Las Cruces offices of the FBI and DEA and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark A. Saltman of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office.

Updated August 30, 2016

Topic
Drug Trafficking