ALBUQUERQUE - Luciano Garcia, 42, of Albuquerque, N.M., was sentenced yesterday in federal court to 135 months in prison for his conviction on a methamphetamine trafficking charge. Garcia will be on supervised release for five years after completing his prison sentence.
Garcia and co-defendants Antonio Marco Bustillos, 43, and Jason Ulibarri, 43, both of Albuquerque, were arrested in Aug. 2017, on a criminal complaint charging them with methamphetamine trafficking and firearms offenses. According to the complaint, Garcia, Bustillos and Ulibarri were arrested after attempting to sell approximately 1.03 kilograms (2.27 pounds) of methamphetamine contained in two bundles to another individual. Incident to his arrest, a fully loaded firearm was allegedly recovered from Bustillos’ rear pocket.
The co-defendants were subsequently charged in a three-count indictment on Aug. 22, 2017. Garcia, Bustillos and Ulibarri were charged with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute on Aug. 10, 2017, in Bernalillo County, N.M. Bustillos was charged individually with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime on Aug. 10, 2017, in Bernalillo County. Bustillos was prohibited from possessing firearms of ammunition because he previously had been convicted of robbery.
On Sept. 14, 2017, Garcia pled guilty to Count 1 of the indictment charging him with possession of more than 500 grams of methamphetamine with intent to distribute without the benefit of a plea agreement.
Bustillos and Ulibarri have both entered pleas of not guilty to the charges against them. Charges in complaint and indictments are merely accusations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless found guilty in a court of law.
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the DEA and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Mysliwiec.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
