Las Cruces Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Methamphetamine Trafficking Conviction

ALBUQUERQUE – Luther Whelan, 42, of Las Cruces, N.M., was sentenced today in federal court to 84 months in prison followed by four years of supervised release for his conviction on methamphetamine trafficking charges.

Whelan was arrested in Sept. 2015, on a criminal complaint charging him with methamphetamine trafficking offenses. According to the complaint, law enforcement officers seized approximately 101.5 grams of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia from Whelan on Feb. 7, 2015, and approximately 24.4 grams of methamphetamine and 2.8 grams of heroin from Whelan on July 23, 2015.

Whelan was subsequently indicted on Dec. 9, 2015, and charged with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute on Feb. 7, 2015, and July 23, 2015. According to the indictment, Whelan committed the offenses in Dona Ana County, N.M.

On March 4, 2016, Whelan pled guilty to Count 1 of the indictment charging him with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. In entering the guilty plea, Whelan admitted that on Feb. 7, 2015, he possessed approximately 102 grams of methamphetamine with the intention of selling it to others.

This case was investigated by the Las Cruces office of the FBI and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brock E. Taylor of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office.