Mescalero man pleads guilty to federal drug charge

LAS CRUCES - Wallace Rice, 23, a member of the Mescalero Apache who resides in Mescalero pleaded guilty to a federal drug charge Friday in U.S. District Court in Las Cruces, according to a news release the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Rice was one of 34 people charged with federal and tribal drug offenses as part of an 18-month multiagency investigation into methamphetamine trafficking on the Mescalero Apache Reservation.

Eighteen defendants, including five members of the Mescalero Apache tribe and 13 non-Natives, were charged in six federal indictments and a federal criminal complaint. Sixteen other members of the Mescalero Apache were charged in tribal criminal complaints, approved by the Mescalero Apache Tribal Court.

Rice was arrested Dec. 29 on a criminal complaint charging him with distribution of methamphetamine on March 25, 2015, in Otero County, the release said. According to the complaint, Rice sold about 1 gram of methamphetamine to undercover law enforcement agents in Mescalero on March 25, 2015.

During Friday’s proceedings, Rice pleaded guilty to a felony information charging him with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, the release said. He admitted that he sold 0.75 grams of methamphetamine to an undercover law enforcement agent for $100.

At sentencing, Rice faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison followed by at least three years of supervised release.  Rice remains in custody pending a sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled.