NM man pleads guilty to federal methamphetamine trafficking charge

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A New Mexico man pleaded guilty Thursday in federal court to a methamphetamine trafficking charge based on a plea agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) investigated this case. 

Kenneth Verzani, 63, of Farmington, New Mexico, was arrested in November 2015 on a five-count indictment charging him with methamphetamine trafficking offenses.  According to the indictment, Verzani distributed methamphetamine on five occasions between May 3 and June 10, 2015, in San Juan County, New Mexico.  The indictment included forfeiture allegations requiring Verzani to forfeit to the United States $4,260, which were proceeds of his drug trafficking. 

During the proceedings, Verzani pleaded guilty to a felony information charging him with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute.  In entering the guilty plea, Verzani admitted selling quantities of methamphetamine to an undercover officer in 2015 on the following dates:  56 grams on May 5, 28 grams on May 28, 56 grams on June 2, and 56 grams on June 7. 

In his plea agreement, Verzani admitted that these drug deals took place in his vehicle or his residence.  He also admitted that on June 10, 2015, officers seized 1.29 kilograms (2.8 pounds) of methamphetamine from his residence.  The plea agreement states that Verzani obtained the methamphetamine from his regular source of supply with the intention of distributing the drugs to the six or seven small-time methamphetamine dealers with whom he regularly dealt. 

At sentencing, Verzani faces a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison.  He remains in custody pending a sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled. 

The High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) Region II Narcotics Task Force assisted with this investigation.  The HIDTA program was created by Congress with the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988.  HIDTA is a program of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), which provides assistance to federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies operating in areas determined to be critical drug-trafficking regions of the United States and seeks to reduce drug trafficking and production by facilitating coordinated law enforcement activities and information sharing.

Assistant U.S. Attorney George C. Kraehe, District of New Mexico, is prosecuting this case.