Las Cruces Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Methamphetamine Trafficking Charges

ALBUQUERQUE – Joshua Nestle, 26, of Las Cruces, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court to methamphetamine trafficking charges. Under the terms of his plea agreement, Nestle will be sentenced to 140 months in prison followed by a term of supervised release to be determined by the court.

Nestle and co-defendant Joclyn Telles, 35, also of Las Cruces, were arrested in Feb. 2017, and charged by criminal complaint with conspiracy and possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute. The complaint also charged Nestle with being a felon in possession of a firearm and with using and carrying a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime. The criminal complaint alleged that the defendants committed the crimes on June 29, 2016, in Dona Ana County, N.M. According to the complaint, law enforcement officers arrested Nestle and Telles on outstanding arrest warrants following a traffic stop. During a search incident to the arrests, the officers found approximately 2.6 ounces of methamphetamine and a firearm in Telles’ vehicle.

During today’s proceedings, Nestle pled guilty to a felony information charging him with conspiracy and possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. In entering the guilty plea, Nestle admitted that on June 29, 2016, he conspired with others to violate the federal drug trafficking laws. He also admitted possessing the 2.6 ounces of methamphetamine found in his vehicle and acknowledged that he intended to distribute the drugs to others. Nestle further admitted that on March 9, 2017, he possessed a controlled substance while he was incarcerated at the Dona Ana County Detention Center. Nestle remains in custody pending a sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled.

Telles remains in custody on the charges in the criminal complaint. Charges in criminal complaints are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent unless found guilty in a court of law.

This case was investigated by the Las Cruces office of the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark A. Saltman of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office.