Albuquerque man gets nearly 29 years in federal prison on drug and gun charges

Albuquerque Man Sentenced to Nearly 29 Years for Drug and Gun Trafficking

An Albuquerque man will spend nearly three decades in federal custody following a violent series of events in July 2024 that involved a high-speed crash, an automatic weapon, and subsequent fires at a local apartment complex. Deundalas Gales, 37, was sentenced on Wednesday to federal prison after pleading guilty to multiple charges, including drug trafficking, firearms violations, and possessing devices that convert standard weapons into machine guns, the Albuquerque Journal reported.

The sentence closes a swift federal prosecution stemming from a chaotic week of police encounters in New Mexico’s largest city. Gales received nearly 29 years behind bars and will face five years of supervised release once his prison term concludes, according to a news release from Tessa DuBerry, a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for New Mexico.

From a High-Speed Crash to an Apartment Fire

The case against Gales began on July 6, 2024, when he was driving through Albuquerque and crashed into another vehicle at high speed. According to a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court, Gales immediately stepped out of the vehicle and fired roughly 25 rounds from a handgun modified with an illegal conversion device.

Gales fled the scene on foot, abandoning his vehicle, a stolen shotgun, and his wallet. Inside the abandoned car, investigators recovered just under a pound of methamphetamine with a purity level testing at 99%. Officers were able to quickly establish his identity after he left behind both the firearm containing the conversion mechanism and his personal identification.

Less than a week later, on July 12, 2024, Albuquerque Police Department officers responded to an apartment complex near Gibson and Carlisle SE. Residents reported that Gales had broken into a neighbor’s apartment and set his own unit on fire while acting belligerent. When officers arrived, they found Gales wearing body armor and holding a loaded firearm magazine.

A subsequent search of Gales’ apartment revealed 3 ounces of fentanyl, 2 pounds of methamphetamine, multiple firearms, and at least 500 rounds of ammunition. Inside his vehicle, investigators found another 7 ounces of fentanyl, 4 ounces of methamphetamine, five additional guns, and another machine gun conversion device.

Federal Charges and Prior Record

Because Gales had prior felony convictions for assault, aggravated robbery, and drug possession, federal law strictly prohibited him from possessing any firearms or ammunition. His guilty plea covered possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possessing and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, unlawful possession of a machine gun, and being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition.