Two More Carlsbad Men Plead Guilty to Committing Hobbs Act Robberies in Southeastern New Mexico

ALBUQUERQUE—The last two of six men from Carlsbad, New Mexico who perpetuated a string of commercial robberies in southeastern New Mexico between November 2012 and January 2013 have pleaded guilty, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Steven C. Yarbrough, 5th Judicial District Attorney Janetta B. Hicks, Special Agent in Charge Carol K.O. Lee of the Albuquerque Division of the FBI, Chief Daniel Fierro of the Carlsbad Police Department, Chief Don Raley of the Artesia Police Department, and Chief Chris McCall of the Hobbs Police Department.

Tyler Williams, 19, and Mario Muro, 23, pleaded guilty this morning in federal court in Las Cruces to violating the Hobbs Act by robbing businesses engaged in interstate commerce. They were charged, together with four other Carlsbad residents—Bennie Juarez, 27; Logan Magby, 19; Rance Williams, 23; and Maurice Williams, 35—in a criminal complaint filed on May 29, 2013. The criminal complaint charged the six men, acting in groups, with robbing the following five commercial businesses in southeastern New Mexico between November 2012 and January 2013:

• The Family Dollar located at 403 W. Quay Street in Artesia, New Mexico, by Bennie Juarez and Maurice Williams on November 15, 2012
• The Shop-N-Go located at 22212 W. Lea Street in Carlsbad by Bennie Juarez and Rance Williams on November 28, 2012
• The Family Dollar located at 901 W. Mermod Street in Carlsbad by Bennie Juarez and Maurice Williams on December 2, 2012
• The Dollar General located at 730 N. Dal Paso in Hobbs, New Mexico, by Bennie Juarez, Rance Williams and Tyler Williams on December 9, 2012
• The Domino’s Pizza located at 302 S. 1st Street in Artesia by Bennie Juarez, Mario Muro, Logan Magby, and Tyler Williams on January 6, 2013

According to the criminal complaint, the perpetrators wore masks or covered their faces with bandanas and brandished firearms at the store employees when they committed the aforementioned robberies.

During today’s proceedings, Tyler Williams entered a guilty plea to a two-count felony information charging him with conspiracy to rob the Dollar General in Hobbs on December 9, 2012, and conspiracy to rob the Domino’s Pizza in Artesia on January 6, 2013. Muro entered a guilty plea to a felony information charging him with conspiracy to rob the Domino’s Pizza in Artesia on January 6, 2013. Both men entered their guilty pleas under plea agreements with the U.S. Attorney’s Office. At sentencing, Tyler Williams and Muro each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each count of conviction.

The other four men charged in the criminal complaint also have pleaded guilty:

• Juarez entered a guilty plea on August 20, 2013, to a felony information charging him with five counts of conspiracy to violate the Hobbs Act by robbing each of the five businesses numerated above.
• Magby entered a guilty plea on September 3, 2013, to a one-count felony information charging him with conspiracy to rob the Domino’s Pizza in Artesia on January 6, 2013.
• Rance Williams entered a guilty plea on September 10, 2013, to a two-count felony information charging him with conspiracy to rob the Shop-N-Go in Carlsbad on November 28, 2012, and conspiracy to rob the Dollar General in Carlsbad on December 2, 2012.
• Maurice Williams entered a guilty plea to a two-count felony information charging him with conspiracy to rob the Family Dollar in Artesia on November 15, 2012, and conspiracy to rob the Family Dollar in Carlsbad on December 2, 2012.

Juarez, Magy, and Rance Williams entered their guilty pleas under plea agreements with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, while Maurice Williams pleaded guilty without the benefit of a plea agreement. At sentencing, each man faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each count of conviction.

These cases were brought as part of a federal anti-violence initiative that targets “the worst of the worst” offenders for federal prosecution. Under this anti-violence initiative, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and federal law enforcement agencies work with New Mexico’s District Attorneys and state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies to target violent or repeat offenders for federal prosecution with the goal of removing repeat offenders from communities in New Mexico for as long as possible.

The cases were investigated by the Roswell Office of the FBI, Carlsbad Police Department, Artesia Police Department, and Hobbs Police Department, with assistance from the 5th Judicial District Attorney’s Office. The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Luis A. Martinez and Edwin Garreth Winstead, III of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office.