Prior Felon from Artesia Pleads Guilty to Federal Narcotics Trafficking and Firearms Charges

ALBUQUERQUE – Floyd Albert Sherrell, 33, of Artesia, N.M., pleaded guilty today in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M., to methamphetamine trafficking and firearms charges under a plea agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Sherrell was arrested on Sept. 1, 2015, on an indictment charging him with unlawfully possessing firearms on June 10, 2014, and distributing methamphetamine on June 12, 2014.  Both offenses took place in Eddy County, N.M.  At the time, Sherrell was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because he previously had been convicted of larceny of a firearm and burglary.  The indictment also included forfeiture allegations requiring Sherrell to forfeit $1,300.00 to the United States. 

During today’s hearing, Sherrell pled guilty to a felony information charging him with being a felon in possession of firearms and distribution of methamphetamine.  In entering his guilty plea, Sherrell admitted that on June 10, 2014, he sold four firearms to an undercover law enforcement agent, and on June 12, 2014, he sold 25 grams of pure methamphetamine to an undercover law enforcement agent.

At sentencing, Sherrell faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison followed by not less than three years of supervised release.  A sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Pecos Valley Drug Task Force and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria Y. Armijo of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office. 

The Pecos Valley Drug Task Force is comprised of officers from the Eddy County Sheriff’s Office, Carlsbad Police Department and Artesia Police Department and is part of the HIDTA Region VI Drug Task Force.  The High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program was created by Congress with the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988.  HIDTA is a program of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) which provides assistance to federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies operating in areas determined to be critical drug-trafficking regions of the United States and seeks to reduce drug trafficking and production by facilitating coordinated law enforcement activities and information sharing.