Man from Albuquerque Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking and Weapon Possession

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Omil Cotto, 33, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, was sentenced in federal court yesterday to 15 years (180 months) in prison for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

            Cotto previously pleaded guilty to these offenses on June 10, 2019. According to public court records, Cotto was involved in a car crash with another motorist in Albuquerque while driving to distribute methamphetamine on May 31, 2018.  Cotto got out of his car holding a gun.  Cotto then fired several shots at the other vehicle as it drove away. 

            Law enforcement officers located Cotto at his residence soon after the shooting.  They obtained a warrant to search his home and found a backpack containing a pistol of the same caliber used in the shooting.  Officers also found about 877.1 grams of methamphetamine in the backpack.  Cotto possessed the pistol to protect his methamphetamine, according to his plea agreement. 

            The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated this case with the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter J. Eicker prosecuted the case as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program.  OCDETF is a nationwide Department of Justice program that combines the resources and unique expertise of federal agencies, along with their local counterparts, in a coordinated effort to disrupt and dismantle major drug trafficking organizations.