Plea Agreement Requires Prison Sentence within the Range of 84 to 96 Months
ALBUQUERQUE - Johnny Joe Crowley, 50, of Carlsbad, N.M., pleaded guilty today in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M., to violating federal narcotics trafficking and firearms laws. Under the terms of his plea agreement, Crowley will be sentenced within the range of 84 to 96 months in federal prison followed by a term of supervised release to be determined by the court.
Crowley was arrested on July 28, 2015, on a criminal complaint charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm in Eddy County, N.M., on March 10, 2015. On that day, the Pecos Valley Drug Task Force (PVDTF) executed a search warrant at Crowley’s residence and seized approximately $3,248.00 in cash, a loaded handgun, ammunition and approximately 13.75 grams of methamphetamine.
Crowley was subsequently indicted on Dec. 9, 2015, and charged with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. At the time, Crowley was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because he previously had been convicted of numerous felony offenses including aggravated assault, receiving stolen property, distribution of methamphetamine, criminal damage to property, failure to appear, felon in possession of a firearm, escape from custody of a peace officer and conspiracy.
During today’s change of plea hearing, Crowley pled guilty to the indictment and admitted that on March 10, 2015, he possessed 14 grams of methamphetamine and a handgun. Crowley acknowledged that he was prohibited from possessing firearms because of his status as a convicted felon.
Crowley remains in federal custody pending a sentencing hearing which has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by the Las Cruces office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Pecos Valley Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Randy M. Castellano is prosecuting the case.
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.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
