Jerry Padilla, Jr. Sentenced to 74 Months in Prison for Federal Narcotics Trafficking Conviction and Violating Supervised Release

ALBUQUERQUE—United States Attorney Kenneth J. Gonzales announced that, this afternoon in federal court in Albuquerque, Jerry L. Padilla, Jr., 44, was sentenced to 37 months in prison for his narcotics trafficking conviction to be followed by an additional 37 months for violating his supervised release in a prior criminal case, for a total of 74 months of imprisonment. After completing his prison sentence, Padilla, Jr., will be on supervised release for five years. Padilla, Jr. also was ordered to forfeit his interest in the residential property located at 2121 Celeste Road SW in Albuquerque.

Padilla, Jr., the alleged leader of the Los Padillas Gang, and his son, Jerry Padilla, III, 26, were arrested on December 3, 2009 on a criminal complaint, and subsequently were indicted on December 16, 2009. According to the criminal complaint, Padilla, Jr., distributed cocaine to an informant who was working with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Albuquerque Police Department (APD) on three separate occasions in March 2009. Padilla, III, participated in the third distribution. The four-count indictment charged Padilla, Jr., with conspiracy and three separate distributions of cocaine.

On May 12, 2011, Padilla, Jr., pleaded guilty to three cocaine distribution counts in the indictment, and also admitted to violating the supervised release term imposed as a result of his prior conviction in another federal drug trafficking case. On September 13, 2011, Padilla, Jr., withdrew his plea and entered a second guilty plea to correct a computation error. In entering his plea, Padilla, Jr., admitted distributing quantities of cocaine to the informant on three occasions: (i) 186.4 grams of cocaine on March 7, 2009; (ii) 180.3 grams of cocaine on March 11, 2009; and (iii) 130 grams of cocaine on March 19, 2011. Padilla, Jr., stated that, with respect to the March 19, 2011 distribution, he directed the informant to meet Padilla, III, at his residence, 2121 Celeste Road SW in Albuquerque, where the informant obtained the cocaine from Padilla, III.

Padilla, III, plead guilty to narcotics trafficking offenses charged in two separate cases on May 12, 2011. He is scheduled for sentencing on September 16, 2011.

In a separate and unrelated proceeding, Joseph Steven Padilla, the 21-year-old son of Padilla, Jr., and brother of Padilla, III, entered a guilty plea to a heroin trafficking offense on August 24, 2011. Joseph Padilla is scheduled for sentencing on November 10, 2011.

The cases against Padilla, Jr., and Padilla, III, were investigated by the FBI and APD with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration, the New Mexico State Police, and the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office, and are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Joel R. Meyers and Nicholas J. Ganjei.