A Carlsbad man, 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. The sentence was announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Philip Russell, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office.
Court documents state that 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. Shortly after, the officer found Saunders’ crashed vehicle and provided first aid. During an inventory search of the pickup truck, officers discovered suspected methamphetamine and a firearm.
A later search warrant led to the seizure of 57.02 grams of methamphetamine and two loaded firearms from the vehicle. Authorities noted that 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 face five years of supervised release.
“There is no parole in the federal system,” according to officials.
The case was investigated by the Roswell Resident Agency of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office with support from the Eddy County Sheriff’s Office and Carlsbad Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark A. Saltman is prosecuting.
