United States of America v. Bennie Juarez, Gucci Lopez, Logan Magby, Mario Muro, Rance Williams, and Tyler Williams

ALBUQUERQUE – Six residents of Eddy County, N.M., were sentenced yesterday afternoon and this morning by a federal judge in Las Cruces, N.M., to prison terms for violating the Hobbs Act by robbing businesses engaged in interstate commerce, announced U.S. Attorney Damon P. Martinez, 5th Judicial District Attorney Janetta B. Hicks, Special Agent in Charge Carol K.O. Lee of the FBI's Albuquerque Division, Chief Kent Waller of the Carlsbad Police Department, Chief Don Raley of the Artesia Police Department, and Chief Chris McCall of the Hobbs Police Department.



The six men, Bennie Juarez, Gucci Lopez, Logan Magby, Mario Muro, Rance Williams, and Tyler Williams, together with their co-defendant Maurice Williams who was previously sentenced, were charged with violating the Hobbs Act in a criminal complaint filed on May 29, 2013. According to court filings, the seven men, acting in groups, robbed the following five commercial businesses in southeastern New Mexico between Nov. 2012 and Jan. 2013:



The Family Dollar located at 403 W. Quay Street in Artesia, N.M., by Juarez, Lopez and Maurice Williams on Nov. 15, 2012.



The Shop-N-Go located at 22212 W. Lea Street in Carlsbad by Juarez, Lopez and Rance Williams on Nov. 28, 2012.



The Family Dollar located at 901 W. Mermod Street in Carlsbad by Juarez, Lopez and Maurice Williams on Dec. 2, 2012.



The Dollar General located at 730 N. Dal Paso in Hobbs, N.M., by Juarez, Rance Williams and Tyler Williams on Dec. 9, 2012.



The Domino's Pizza located at 302 S. 1st Street in Artesia by Juarez, Muro, Magby and Tyler Williams on Jan. 6, 2013.



The defendants wore masks or covered their faces with bandanas and brandished firearms at the store employees when they committed the aforementioned robberies.



Bennie Juarez, 28, of Artesia, N.M., pled guilty on Aug. 20, 2013, to five counts of conspiracy to violate the Hobbs Act by robbing each of the five businesses identified above. Juarez was sentenced yesterday afternoon to 42 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. He also was ordered to pay, jointly with his co-defendants, $28,806.22 in restitution to the victims of his criminal conduct.



Gucci Lopez, 26, of Artesia, N.M., pled guilty on Nov. 5, 2013, to three counts of conspiracy to violate the Hobbs Act by robbing three businesses involved in interstate commerce. Lopez was sentenced this morning to 12 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. He also was ordered to pay, jointly with his co-defendants, $14,599.40 in restitution to the victims of his criminal conduct.



Logan Magby, 20, of Carlsbad, N.M., pled guilty on Sept. 3, 2013, to conspiracy to rob the Domino's Pizza in Artesia on Jan. 6, 2013. Magby was sentenced yesterday to 15 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. He also was ordered to pay, jointly with his co-defendants, $1,107.82 in restitution to the victims of his criminal conduct.



Mario Muro, 23, of Carlsbad, N.M., pled guilty on Sept. 13, 2013, to conspiracy to rob the Domino's Pizza in Artesia on Jan. 6, 2013. Yesterday Muro was sentenced to 21 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. He also was ordered to pay, jointly with his co-defendants, $1,107.82 in restitution to the victims of his criminal conduct.



Rance Williams, 24, of Carlsbad, N.M., pled guilty on Sept. 10, 2013, to conspiracy to rob the Shop-N-Go in Carlsbad on Nov. 28, 2012, and conspiracy to rob the Dollar General in Carlsbad on Dec. 2, 2012. Williams was sentenced yesterday afternoon to 25 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. He also was ordered to pay, jointly with his co-defendants, $11,323.00 in restitution to the victims of his criminal conduct.



Tyler Williams, 19, of Carlsbad, N.M., pled guilty on Sept. 13, 2013, to conspiracy to rob the Dollar General in Hobbs on Dec. 9, 2012, and conspiracy to rob the Domino's Pizza in Artesia on Jan. 6, 2013. Yesterday Williams was sentenced to 24 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. He also was ordered to pay, jointly with his co-defendants, $10,206.82 in restitution to the victims of his criminal conduct.



Maurice Williams, 35, of Carlsbad, N.M., entered a guilty plea on Sept. 10, 2013, to conspiracy to rob the Family Dollar in Artesia on Nov. 15, 2012, and conspiracy to rob the Family Dollar in Carlsbad on Dec. 2, 2012. Williams was sentenced on July 29, 2014, to 130 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release. He also was ordered to pay, jointly with his co-defendants, $3,420.00 in restitution to the victims of his criminal conduct.



The defendants were prosecuted as part of a federal anti-violence initiative that targets "the worst of the worst” offenders for federal prosecution. Under this anti-violence initiative, the U.S. Attorney's Office and federal law enforcement agencies work with New Mexico's District Attorneys and state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to target violent or repeat offenders for federal prosecution with the goal of removing repeat offenders from communities in New Mexico for as long as possible.



These cases were investigated by the Roswell office of the FBI, Carlsbad Police Department, Artesia Police Department and Hobbs Police Department, with assistance from the 5th Judicial District Attorney's Office.

See above