Clovis Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Methamphetamine Trafficking Charge

ALBUQUERQUE – Christopher Jason Kidd, 38, of Clovis, N.M., pleaded guilty this morning to participating in a methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy.  Under the terms of the plea agreement, Kidd will be sentenced to 78 months in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release. 

Kidd and three co-defendants, Tina Tafoya, 33, and John Jesse Perez, Jr., 45, both of Clovis, N.M., and Jeanette Driever, 37, of Grady, N.M., were indicted in Feb. 2014, on federal methamphetamine trafficking charges.  Count 1 of the three-count indictment alleged that the defendants conspired to distribute methamphetamine in Curry County, N.M., between Sept. 2013 and Nov. 2013.  Count 2 alleged that Kidd and Tafoya possessed methamphetamine with intent to distribute on Nov. 6, 2013, and Count 3 alleged that Driever and Perez possessed methamphetamine with intent to distribute on that same day.

During today’s hearing, Kidd entered a guilty plea to Count 1 of the indictment and admitted conspiring with his co-defendants to distribute methamphetamine in Curry County.  Kidd’s plea agreement states that he and Tafoya supplied quantities of methamphetamine to others, including Driever and Perez, who resold the methamphetamine in smaller quantities to users.  According to Kidd’s plea agreement, on Nov. 9, 2013, Kidd and Tafoya supplied a pound of methamphetamine to Driever and Perez.  On that same day, Kidd and Tafoya also possessed another half-pound of methamphetamine at their residence.

Kidd remains in federal custody pending his sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled.

Kidd’s co-defendants have entered not guilty pleas to the indictment.  The three remain in custody pending their trial, which is scheduled for Jan. 8, 2015.  An indictment is merely an accusation and defendants are presumed innocent unless found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case was investigated by the Las Cruces Agency Office of the FBI’s Albuquerque Division, the Region V Drug Task Force and the New Mexico State Police, with assistance from the Ninth Judicial District Attorney’s Office.  The Region V Drug Task Force is comprised of the Clovis Police Department, the Portales Police Department, Curry County Sheriff’s Office and the Roosevelt County Sheriff’s Office.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Jon Ganjei is prosecuting the case.