Diaz Prosecuted as Part of “Worst of the Worst" Anti-Violence Initiative
ALBUQUERQUE - Dexter Diaz, 31, of Gallup, N.M., pleaded guilty today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to a methamphetamine trafficking charge. Under the terms of his plea agreement, Diaz will be sentenced within the range of 120 to 144 months in federal prison followed by a five year term of supervised release.
The guilty plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Damon P. Martinez, Special Agent in Charge Will R. Glaspy of the DEA’s El Paso Division, McKinley County Sheriff Ronald Silversmith, and Chief Timothy Trimble of the Zuni Pueblo Tribal Police Department.
Diaz, whose criminal history includes felony convictions for three drug trafficking crimes, is being prosecuted as part of the federal “worst of the worst" anti-violence initiative. Under this 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 primarily based on their prior felony convictions for federal prosecution with the goal of removing repeat offenders from communities in New Mexico for as long as possible. Because New Mexico’s violent crime rates, on a per capita basis, are amongst the highest in the nation, New Mexico’s law enforcement community is collaborating to target repeat offenders from counties with the highest violent crime rates, including McKinley County, under this initiative.
Diaz was arrested in Sept. 2015, on an indictment charging him with distributing methamphetamine on March 26, 2015, in McKinley County, N.M. The indictment included forfeiture allegations requiring Diaz to forfeit $1,600 in drug proceeds to the United States.
During today’s proceedings, Diaz entered a guilty plea to the indictment. In entering the guilty plea, Diaz admitted that on March 26, 2015, he sold two ounces of methamphetamine to another person for $1,600.
Diaz has been in federal custody since his arrest and remains detained pending a sentencing hearing which has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the DEA, the McKinley County Sheriff’s Office and the Zuni Pueblo Tribal Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Jon Ganjei is prosecuting the case.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
