Albuquerque Man Charged with Crimes Arising Out of Pharmacy Robbery in June 2013

ALBUQUERQUE – Eddie Gallegos, 38, of Albuquerque, N.M., made his initial appearance in federal court this morning on an indictment charging him with crimes arising out of the June 21, 2013 armed robbery of a pharmacy in Albuquerque.  Gallegos remains in federal custody pending arraignment and a detention hearing scheduled for June 29, 2015.  

The four-count indictment alleges that Gallegos (1) violated the Hobbs Act by interfering with interstate commerce by robbery and violence; (2) branded a firearm during a crime of violence; (3) violated the Safe Doses Act by stealing medical products; and (4) possessed Oxycodone with intent to distribute.  According to the indictment, Gallegos allegedly committed the four offenses by robbing Phil’s Pills, a pharmacy located at 5510 Lomas Blvd. NE in Albuquerque, at gunpoint on June 21, 2013.

The charges in the indictment carry the following statutory maximum penalties on conviction:  Hobbs Act – 20 years of imprisonment; Safe Doses Act – 30 years of imprisonment; possession of Oxycodone with intent to distribute – 20 years in prison.  The statutory maximum penalty for a conviction for brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence is a mandatory seven years in prison to be served consecutive to any prison sentence on the other sentence imposed on the other charges.

Charges in indictments are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent unless found guilty in a court of law.

This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the FBI and the Albuquerque Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joel R. Meyers and Shaheen P. Torgoley.

This case is being prosecuted pursuant to the New Mexico Heroin and Opioid Prevention and Education (HOPE) Initiative.  The HOPE Initiative is a collaborative effort between the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center that is partnering with the Bernalillo County Opioid Accountability Initiative with the overriding goal of reducing the number of opioid-related deaths in the District of New Mexico.  The HOPE Initiative comprised of five components:  (1) prevention and education; (2) treatment; (3) law enforcement; (4) reentry; and (5) strategic planning.  The law enforcement component of the HOPE Initiative is led by the Organized Crime Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the DEA in conjunction with their federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement partners.  Targeting members of major heroin and opioid trafficking organizations for investigation and prosecution is a priority of the HOPE Initiative.