Woman from Albuquerque sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for possession and distribution of drugs

 Karla Pena sold large amounts of meth and fentanyl pills to undercover officer

          ALBUQERQUE, N.M. – Karla Pena, 33, of Albuquerque, was sentenced in federal court on Aug. 23 to 10 years in prison for distribution of methamphetamine and fentanyl.

          Pena pleaded guilty on Dec. 23, 2019. According to the plea agreement, from Jan. 15 to Jan. 24, 2019, Pena conspired with co-defendants Marysol Pena, 31, of Phoenix, Arizona, and Guillermo Rodriguez, 39, also of Phoenix, to sell methamphetamine and fentanyl to an undercover officer in Albuquerque. On Jan. 15, Pena sold an undercover officer 419 grams of methamphetamine and 97.3 grams of fentanyl in exchange for cash outside a Walmart parking lot. On Jan. 24, Pena sold the undercover officer more than 4.5 kilograms of methamphetamine and 76.9 grams of fentanyl pills in a suitcase that she wheeled into a motel room in Albuquerque.

          At the time of the investigation, Pena was on supervised release for a 2016 conviction for possession with intent to distribute heroin. 

          Upon completion of her sentence, Pena will be subject to five years of supervised release.

          Rodriguez pleaded guilty on Nov. 4, 2019, and was sentenced on May 19, 2020, to four years and two months in prison. Marysol Pena pleaded guilty on May 26, and was sentenced on Aug. 24 to a year and 11 months in prison and will be subject to three years of supervised release upon completion of her sentence.  

          The FBI and New Mexico State Police investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew T. Nelson prosecuted this case.