ALBUQUERQUE - William Douglas Warwick, 53, of San Clemente, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to violating federal drug trafficking and firearms laws. Warwick entered the guilty plea under a conditional plea agreement under which he reserved the right to appeal from the court’s denial of his motion to suppress evidence, and with the understanding that if he prevails on his appeal, he will be permitted to withdraw his guilty plea.
Warwick was arrested on Nov. 7, 2016, on a criminal complaint charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm on Aug. 3, 2016, in Valencia County, N.M. According to the complaint, FBI agents located two rifles, multiple rounds of ammunition and methamphetamine in Warwick’s residence during the execution of a search warrant.
Warwick was charged in a two-count indictment filed on Dec. 7, 2016, with being an addict and a convicted felon in possession of firearms. The indictment was superseded on March 28, 2017, and charged Warwick with being an addict and convicted felon in possession of firearms on Aug. 3, 2016 and Nov. 7, 2016, and possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute on Nov. 7, 2016. According to the superseding indictment, Warwick committed the crimes in Valencia County. Warwick was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because he previously had been convicted of manufacturing methamphetamine and tampering with evidence.
During today’s proceedings, Warwick entered a guilty plea under a conditional plea agreement to Counts 1 and 3 of the superseding indictment charging him with being an addict and felon in possession of a firearm and possession of methamphetamine. In entering the guilty plea, Warwick admitted that on Aug. 3, 2016, he was an unlawful user of controlled substances and a convicted felon while in possession of a rifle. Warwick further admitted that on Nov. 7, 2016, law enforcement agents located approximately 45.7 grams of pure methamphetamine on his person during the execution of a search warrant.
At sentencing, Warwick faces a maximum penalty of ten years in federal prison. A sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney’s Matthew Beck and Randy M. Castellano of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
