Date: 11-19-2014

Case Style: United States of America v. Armando Conrad Gonzalez

Case Number: 2:14-cr-01760-RB

Judge:

Court: United States District Court for the District of New Mexico (Donna Ana County)

Plaintiff's Attorney: Anna R. Wright

Defendant's Attorney: Eduardo Solis for Armando Conrad Gonzales

Brock Benjamin for Charles Douglas Notbohm, Jr.

Marcia Milner for James Richard Reeves

Description: Las Cruces, NM – Armando Conrad Gonzales, 33, of Las Cruces, N.M., pleaded guilty this morning in federal court in Las Cruces to drug trafficking and firearms charges. Under the terms of his plea agreement, Gonzales will be sentenced to 100 months in federal prison followed by a term of supervised release to be determined by the court.

Gonzales was charged in July 2014, with two co-defendants who previously had been arrested. Charles Douglas Notbohm, Jr., 50, of Tucson, Ariz., was arrested in Lordsburg, N.M., on Feb. 21, 2014, after officers executed a search warrant on the vehicle in which he were traveling and found more than 116 grams of methamphetamine. On May 21, 2014, Notbohm and James Richard Reeves, 46, also of Tucson, were indicted and charged with conspiracy and possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. On July 16, 2014, Notbohm, Reeves and Gonzales were charged in a superseding indictment with conspiracy and possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. The superseding indictment also charged Gonzales with being a felon in possession of a firearm

Gonzales pled guilty to Counts 1 and 3 of the superseding indictment, charging him with a methamphetamine distribution conspiracy and being a felon in possession of a firearm. In entering his guilty plea, Gonzales admitted making an agreement with Reeves to purchase four ounces of methamphetamine from Reeves which Reeves and Notbohm were to transport from Tucson to Las Cruces. Gonzales further admitted that on April 11, 2014, he possessed a firearm and ammunition even though he was prohibited from doing so based on his status as a convicted felon.

On Sept. 18, 2014, Reeves pled guilty to the two methamphetamine trafficking charges in the superseding indictment without the benefit of a plea agreement. At sentencing, Reeves faces a sentence of not less than five years and not more than 40 years in prison.

Notbohm pled guilty on Oct. 7, 2014, to a felony information charging him with conspiracy and possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. In entering his guilty plea, Notbohm admitted that on Feb. 21, 2014, he and Reeves were driving from Tucson to Las Cruces for the purpose of delivering methamphetamine to Gonzales. He further admitted that as the two men were driving through Lordsburg, they were stopped by a police officer who found more than 116 grams of methamphetamine in their vehicle. At sentencing, he faces a prison sentence of not more than twenty years.

All three men have been in federal custody since their respective arrests. They remain detained pending their respective sentencing hearings, which have yet to be scheduled.

This case was investigated by Deming office of Homeland Security Investigations and the Lordsburg Police Department.

Outcome: See above

Plaintiff's Experts:

Defendant's Experts:

Comments: