A Carlsbad resident, Christopher Saunders, 25, has been sentenced to 211 months in federal prison following a police pursuit that ended in a crash and the discovery of methamphetamine and firearms. There is no parole in the federal system.
Court documents state that on June 5, 2022, a Carlsbad Police officer attempted to stop Saunders for speeding. Saunders fled at high speed, prompting the officer to end the chase for safety reasons. The officer later found Saunders’ crashed vehicle and provided first aid. During an inventory search of the truck, officers located suspected methamphetamine and a firearm.
A subsequent search warrant led to the seizure of 57.02 grams of methamphetamine and two loaded firearms. At the time, Saunders was barred from possessing firearms due to a felony conviction in 2019.
Saunders pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Upon release from prison, he will serve five years of supervised release.
Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Philip Russell, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, announced the sentence.
The case was investigated by the Roswell Resident Agency of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office with help from the Eddy County Sheriff's Office and Carlsbad Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark A. Saltman is prosecuting.
