Santa Fe Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Crack Cocaine Trafficking Charges

ALBUQUERQUE – Matthew J. Holmes, 30, of Santa Fe, N.M., entered a guilty plea today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to crack cocaine trafficking charges.  Under the terms of his plea agreement, Holmes will be sentenced to a prison term within the range of nine to twelve years in federal prison followed by a term of supervised release to be determined by the court.

Holmes was arrested on Feb. 24, 2015, and charged in a criminal complaint with possession of crack cocaine with intent to distribute.  According to the complaint, on Feb. 24, 2014, the Santa Fe Police Department (SFPD) received information that Holmes had an outstanding state arrest warrant.  Based on that information, SFPD officers initiated a traffic stop on Holmes’ vehicle.  After a brief foot pursuit, the officers were able to apprehend Holmes.   At the time of his arrest, Holmes possessed a distribution quantity of crack cocaine and drug paraphernalia.  Holmes subsequently was indicted and charged with possession of crack cocaine with intent to distribute.

During today’s proceedings Holmes pled guilty to the indictment and admitted that on Feb. 24, 2014, he possessed approximately 74.3 grams of crack cocaine in three plastic bags and $4,146.00 in cash.  Holmes further admitted that he possessed the crack cocaine with the intent to distribute it to others.

Holmes has been in federal custody since his arrest and remains detained pending his sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled.

This case was investigated by the Santa Fe office of the FBI and the HIDTA Region III Narcotics Task Force.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David M. Walsh and Norman Cairns.

The HIDTA Region III Narcotics Task Force is comprised of officers from the New Mexico State Police, the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office and the Santa Fe Police Department.  The High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program was created by Congress with the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988.  HIDTA is a program of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) which provides assistance to federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies operating in areas determined to be critical drug-trafficking regions of the United States and seeks to reduce drug trafficking and production by facilitating coordinated law enforcement activities and information sharing.