A Carlsbad resident, Christopher Saunders, 25, has been sentenced to 211 months in federal prison following a police pursuit that ended in a crash and the discovery of methamphetamine and firearms. There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court documents, on June 5, 2022, a Carlsbad Police officer attempted to stop Saunders for speeding. Saunders fled at high speed, prompting the officer to end the chase for safety reasons. The officer later found the crashed vehicle and provided first aid to Saunders. An inventory search of the pickup revealed suspected methamphetamine and a firearm.
A search warrant executed after the incident led officers to recover 57.02 grams of methamphetamine and two loaded firearms from the vehicle. At the time of his arrest, Saunders was prohibited from possessing firearms due to a prior felony conviction in 2019.
Saunders pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Upon release from prison, he will be subject to five years of supervised release.
“Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Philip Russell, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.”
The investigation was conducted by the Roswell Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office with assistance from Eddy County Sheriff’s Office and Carlsbad Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark A. Saltman is prosecuting the case.
