ALBUQUERQUE - Willie Collier, 65, of Macon, Ga., pleaded guilty this morning in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to a cocaine trafficking charge. Under the terms of the plea agreement, Collier will be sentenced to 60 months in federal prison followed by not less than four years of supervised release.
Collier was arrested on Jan. 21, 2014, at the Greyhound Bus Station in Albuquerque after a search of his baggage by DEA agents revealed that Collier was carrying approximately 5.85 kilograms of cocaine inside a backpack. Collier was subsequently charged in a superseding indictment filed on June 24, 2015 with possession of cocaine with intent to distribute on Jan. 21, 2014, in Bernalillo County.
During today’s proceedings, Collier pled guilty to the superseding indictment. He admitted to possessing approximately 4.037 kilograms of cocaine on Jan. 21, 2014, which Collier was to be paid to transport from Phoenix, Ariz., to Memphis, Tenn., to give to another individual.
This case was investigated by the Interdiction Unit of the DEA’s Albuquerque office which focuses on disrupting the flow of narcotics, weapons, and the proceeds of illegal activities as they are smuggled into or through New Mexico in passenger buses, passenger trains, commercial vehicles and automobiles. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rumaldo R. Armijo is prosecuting the case.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
