Career Violent Criminal Finally Meets His Match with Federal Conviction for Drug Charges

Albuquerque –

After a four-day trial, a federal jury convicted an Albuquerque man of possessing fentanyl with intent to distribute it following a high-speed chase through multiple New Mexico cities.

According to court documents and trial evidence, Tevin King, 33, was the subject of an active federal arrest warrant on Aug. 19, 2024, for violating supervised release conditions. Investigators tracked King to Hobbs, New Mexico, where agents saw a black Malibu leave a residence and followed it to Portales, New Mexico.

Law enforcement officers followed the vehicle to a Stripes gas station in Portales. There, the passenger stepped out of the driver’s seat and entered the store, giving agents an opportunity to approach the vehicle. King, who had been hiding inside the car, climbed into the driver’s seat and sped away as agents attempted to block the vehicle.

During the pursuit, King drove at high speed while attempting to evade law enforcement. As agents followed closely, King discarded canvas tote bag from the driver’s side window near Eastern New Mexico University. The bag was observed by law enforcement and also by a civilian who retrieved the bag and delivered it to campus police. The bag contained approximately 16,000 fentanyl pills.

The chase continued into Clovis, New Mexico, where King crashed into a law enforcement vehicle in a residential area. This incident ended the chase and resulted in his arrest.

The jury convicted King of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. After the verdict, the court ordered him to remain in custody pending sentencing, which has not yet been scheduled. King faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life in prison.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Acting Special Agent in Charge Taekuk Cho of Homeland Security Investigations El Paso announced the conviction today.

Homeland Security Investigations El Paso led the investigation with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service, Portales Police Department, Clovis Police Department, the Lea County Drug Task Force, and the Region V Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah Mease and Natasha Moghadam are prosecuting the case.

King has a criminal history dating back to 2013, but in typical New Mexico court prosecution fashion, several cases resulted in plea agreements or dismissal of charges by prosecutors over time.

In August of 2014, King was charged with six counts of shooting at or from a motor vehicle, three counts of shooting at a dwelling or occupied building, two conspiracy-to-commit-shooting charges, five counts of tampering with evidence, one count of conspiracy to commit tampering with evidence, and one count of child abuse not resulting in death or great bodily harm. He later entered a plea agreement and pleaded guilty or no contest to one count of shooting at or from a motor vehicle, two counts of conspiracy to commit shooting at or from a motor vehicle, one count of child abuse, one count of shooting at a dwelling or occupied building, and one count of conspiracy to commit tampering with evidence. In exchange, prosecutors dismissed five additional counts of shooting at or from a motor vehicle, two counts of shooting at a dwelling or occupied building, one count of conspiracy to commit shooting at a dwelling or occupied building, and five counts of tampering with evidence.

In October 2014, King was charged with four counts of trafficking controlled substances with intent to distribute narcotics or methamphetamine, two counts of tampering with evidence, one count of receiving stolen property involving a firearm, and one count of possession of marijuana or synthetic cannabinoids. In May 2015, he pleaded guilty or no contest to two trafficking controlled substances charges, while prosecutors dismissed two additional trafficking charges, both tampering with evidence charges, the receiving stolen property charge, and the marijuana possession charge through nolle prosequi.

In October 2017, King was charged with one count of resisting, evading, or obstructing an officer and one count of distribution or possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance (non-methamphetamine, non-narcotic Schedule I–II, first offense), but both charges were dismissed in December 2017 by the prosecutor through nolle prosequi.

In February 2021, King was charged with one count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and one count of shooting at or from a motor vehicle. The case had originally been filed in January 2021 and included additional charges of shooting at or from a motor vehicle, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, receipt/transportation/possession of a firearm or destructive device by certain persons (felon), and child abuse not resulting in death or great bodily harm. Those initial charges were later dropped when the case was refiled in February 2021. Both of the February 2021 charges were ultimately dismissed after prosecutors stated they were unable to proceed with the case.

In July 2024, King was charged with armed robbery, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, battery, false imprisonment, child abuse, aggravated burglary with a deadly weapon, conspiracy to commit aggravated burglary with a deadly weapon, and interference with communications; however, all eight charges were later dismissed by prosecutors after they were unable to proceed with the case.