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Press Release

Texas Man Pleads Guilty to Assaulting Federal Law Enforcement Officers in New Mexico

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

ALBUQUERQUE – Kingsley Ufembou Akendeu, 24, of Lubbock, Texas, pled guilty today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to assaulting federal law enforcement officers in New Mexico.  Akendeu entered the guilty plea under a plea agreement that recommends a prison sentence within the range of 37 to 46 months followed by a term of supervised release to be determined by the court.

The DEA arrested Akendeu in Jan. 2018, and charged him by criminal complaint with possession of marijuana with intent to distribute and assaulting federal law enforcement officers during an interdiction investigation at a bus station in Albuquerque.  According to the complaint, Akendeu scratched, punched and bit a DEA Special Agent and a DEA Task Force Officer while resisting arrest after they found approximately 2.7 kilograms of marijuana in his luggage. 

Akendue subsequently was indicted on Jan. 23, 2018, and was charged with an assaulting a federal law enforcement officer offense.  The indictment was superseded on Feb. 27, 2018, to include a second assault on a federal officer charge.  The superseding indictment alleged that Akendue committed the crimes on Jan. 7, 2018, in Bernalillo County, N.M.

During today’s proceedings, Akendue pled guilty to the superseding indictment.  In entering the guilty plea, Akendue admitted that on Jan. 7, 2018, he assaulted a DEA Special Agent by scratching his face and punching him in the nose, while knowing that he was a law enforcement officer.  He also admitted assaulted a DEA Task Force Office by biting him but did not know that he was a law enforcement officer at the time of the assault. 

Akendue remains in custody pending a sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled.

This case was investigated by the DEA and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Norman Cairns.

Updated June 19, 2018

Topic
Violent Crime